The Graviton Ellipse
by cojack
Summary: C/7. AU where Seven and Chakotay are trapped within a graviton ellipse when investigating the Ares IV wreckage during the episode "One Small Step." They discover more than they bargain for inside.
1. Teaser

DISCLAIMER: It's Paramount's galaxy.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: C/7. AU where Seven and Chakotay are trapped within a graviton ellipse when investigating the Ares IV wreckage during the episode "One Small Step." They discover more than they bargain for inside.

I've decided to try something different for me and write the five AUs from "Possibilities" simultaneously. I'll post the first chapter "teaser" for each over the next few days and then go from there (expanded from what was in the original). Reviews are always welcome.

#

THE GRAVITON ELLIPSE

Stardate 53293.7

" _Delta Flyer, report_."

Paris, Seven and Chakotay were running out of time. Paris was working in the cramped access panel just behind the pilot's seat to install a 21st century piece of machinery into the 24th century shuttle. Amazingly, despite the hundreds of compatibility issues that could crop up, he thought they had a good chance to get it to work and restore power to their vital systems. "We're trying to integrate the distributor. Stand by, Captain." He attached the final component and turned to Seven who was at one of the shuttle's consoles. "Try bypassing the power couplings."

"No effect," Seven responded. She was still in her EVA suit she had used to go over to _Ares IV_ and retrieve the distributor. Not only had she returned with the vital piece of equipment, but also gigaquads of data from the _Ares IV_ mission and the remains of Astronaut John Mark Kelly himself.

Paris continued to tinker with the distributor. It was either going to work or not. "Resequence the ion modulators, see if that does it."

Suddenly there was the tell-tale sound of systems powering up. "Power conversion in process," Seven confirmed.

Paris moved over to Seven's station to see for himself. "We have propulsion, shields," he observed.

"The plasma flow is still fluctuating." Seven was not happy with what she saw.

"Stay on top of it," Paris replied and moved over to the pilot's position and started prepping for departure. "Paris to _Voyager_."

" _Go ahead_."

"Open the shuttlebay doors. We're coming home."

" _Acknowledged_."

"Laying in an escape trajectory," Paris said, marking their route to avoid the wreckage contained within the ellipse. The space was littered with debris, and they had only a chance to explore a fraction of what the ellipse contained. The _Ares IV_ discovery had been exciting, but he'd be happy to get out of here quickly. Besides, Chakotay was laid out in the Flyer's rear section and needed medical attention.

At Voyager's tactical station Tuvok examined the parameters of the graviton ellipse. A fascinating and dangerous phenomenon to be sure. Millions of terajoules of subspace energy not only generating an intense electromagnetic field, but also level 9 gravimetric distortions. By his calculations, the Away Team on the _Delta Flyer_ only had four minutes before the ellipse was gone. "The ellipse is returning to subspace," he said.

"The Flyer?" Janeway asked as she stepped up to Ensign Kim at _Voyager_ 's science station.

Kim studied the sensor readings. "They're approaching the perimeter. Two thousand meters, eighteen hundred."

"The anomaly's submerging," Torres interrupted from the helm. She was struggling to keep _Voyager_ in position just outside the anomaly's disturbance perimeter. Graviton eddies swept past the ship on all sides.

"Are we in tractor range?" Janeway asked.

"Not yet," Tuvok replied. The readings were fluctuating wildly as the ellipse neared the normal space threshold.

"Take us closer," Janeway commanded stepping up to Torres at the helm.

"Captain?" Torres didn't want to get any closer. She was having enough trouble as it was.

"Do it," Janeway ordered.

Tuvok shook his head. "They're still out of reach. Another three hundred meters."

"Closer," Janeway urged.

"We'll be pulled right in with them," Torres complained. _Voyager_ began to shake as the inertial dampers couldn't compensate for the extreme gravimetric forces. There was a sudden eddy that buffeted the ship and moved it further away. Torres had to fight with the controls to keep the vessel steady.

"Just a few more meters."

"We're too close!"

They were running out of time. That last eddy had affected their progress. "I still can't get a lock with the tractor beam," Tuvok said. "I believe, however, they're close enough for transporters." It was their only option and a last ditch effort.

"Get them out of there!" Janeway barked.

"Locking onto their comm badge signals," Tuvok replied. "Energizing."

 _Voyager_ continued to shake violently. "Transporter room," Janeway said into the comm. "Report."

There was a hesitation. " _Paris here. You've beamed over me and the remains of Kelly. You have to go back for Seven and Chakotay. Lock onto their biosignatures._ "

"We have to move now," Torres shouted with alarm. "The anomaly's submerging and the gravimetric shear is too strong!"

"Tuvok!" Janeway shouted.

"There's too much interference," Tuvok replied. "There's no signal to lock onto."

Janeway grimaced, but knew it was time to retreat. "Reverse thrusters, full impulse!" she commanded and then turned to Tuvok. "What happened?"

"I locked onto what signal I could, their comm badges," Tuvok replied. "It is apparent neither Commander Chakotay or Seven of Nine were wearing their comm badges and one of the badges must have been in the proximity of the remains of Mister Kelly."

"It's too late now," B'Elanna observed. She looked back at the Captain who was still standing next to the helm, her eyes haunted. "They're trapped. The ellipse has completely submerged into subspace."

Janeway looked out the main viewscreen and backed up. The ellipse was gone and with it her friends. Only the star-studded blackness of space stared back at her. She fell back heavily into her command chair and a gasp caught in her throat. She had lost them both…

#

Sparks continued to erupt from the pilot console where just moments before Tom Paris had sat. Seven could still clearly recall the look of surprise on Tom's face as he turned to face her when the transporter beam engaged. Almost immediately after losing its pilot, the _Delta Flyer_ veered significantly from the intended trajectory and the gravimetric shear almost ripped the craft in two. A half minute of chaos followed before the inertial dampers were finally able to compensate for the Flyer's erratic motion. Seven moved over quickly to cut the power to the affected panel. Auto-pilot had already kicked in and the computer was now trying to stabilize the Flyer and bring it out of its tumble. She studied the remaining readings and nothing catastrophic or life threatening presented itself. Of course the orange blur out the main window made it clear they were still within the anomaly, and so the prospect of surviving in the long term was negligible. That was irrelevant now. She decided to let the computer do its job and moved towards the aft compartment of the Flyer. There was something she had to check immediately.

For a brief moment, Seven's heart sank when she discovered that Commander Chakotay was no longer on the table in the rear of the Flyer. Almost right away, however, she heard him struggling and realized he was still aboard. The relief she felt almost overwhelmed her. He had fallen off the far side of the table and was attempting to get up. She moved over quickly to assist.

"What happened?" he said, leaning on her heavily as she helped him stand. He had still not recovered from the injuries he sustained from the plasma discharge during their initial attempt to leave the ellipse

"Our final effort to escape the ellipse has failed," Seven responded as she helped him back up onto the table. "We were almost to the perimeter, but not far enough for _Voyager_ to use a tractor beam."

"We're trapped?"

"Yes. The ellipse is back in subspace."

"Is Tom alright?"

Seven hesitated. "It appears _Voyager_ used the transporter when the tractor option failed, but for some reason, only transported Lieutenant Paris from the Flyer when we reached the apex of our trajectory." Then something occurred to her as her mind cleared. She scanned the rest of the room and noticed Lieutenant Kelly's remains were also gone. "I believe I have an explanation. They must have used our communicators to boost the signal. Unfortunately, neither of us were wearing our communicators at the time of transport."

Chakotay reached for where his communicator would be on his chest, but as Seven said, it wasn't there. Then he recalled it was removed when Tom treated some of his internal injuries and glanced over to the counter where it had been placed. Sure enough, it was gone. Too bad they hadn't thought of that fallback possibility before their attempt to leave the ellipse. Chakotay's head was still spinning from when the inertial dampers had failed and he didn't feel well. He lowered himself down to the table until he was resting on his side. "What's our status?" he asked weakly as he closed his eyes.

Seven frowned. "Thrusters are functioning and currently stabilizing our profile, but likely the core is still offline and impulse engines inoperable. I imagine we're at minimal life support and wouldn't be surprised if hull integrity has been compromised." To emphasize the point, there was a sound outside the Flyer as a piece of debris impacted. Seven looked about the compartment. The creaks afterwards throughout the ship were not that encouraging. No doubt, they were surrounded by a great deal of debris and collisions would be unavoidable. In time, just as with Ares IV before them, the Flyer with the two of them inside would become part of the ellipse's debris field. "In short, Commander, your juvenile interest in paleontology and insistence on recovering the Ares IV module has condemned us to death within this anomaly." She couldn't quite hide the disgust in her voice, but regretted saying it out loud almost immediately. Anger would be of little use now. She glanced down to Commander Chakotay and realized he hadn't heard anyway, having fallen back unconscious. That's what his body probably needed most. To make sure it was nothing more serious, she found a medical tricorder and scanned his vitals. He still had a concussion and they would have to do something about his internal injuries, but there was nothing immediately life threatening.

She retrieved a blanket from the floor and placed it over him, moving him more towards the center of the table while she did so to reduce the risk of an additional fall. First order of business was to ascertain ship's status, and then determine how best to treat Chakotay's injuries. With the ellipse now subsumed into sub-space, escape was likely impossible, but she couldn't dwell on these thoughts. There might still be a chance when the ellipse re-entered regular space. How long that would take was anyone's guess, but they needed to be ready when the opportunity occurred.

One small step at a time.


	2. Damage Report

Chapter 2 – Damage Report

During the first few days in the ellipse, Seven assessed all the _Delta Flyer_ 's systems while caring for Chakotay. The medical kit was of little use, but according to her scans, Chakotay was recovering on his own and there wouldn't be any lasting effects from the plasma discharge. Each day Chakotay improved and was able to do more, which was encouraging. They kept a set time for meals and would eat together. Seven also took time to create an energy connection to the warp core so she could "plug in" and regenerate her Borg components when necessary. It required her to make an incision in her wrist to access the particular Borg component. She set up the conduit next to one of the bunks in the rear of the Flyer for she found it easier to lie down while hooked up and regenerating in this way. When he was feeling well enough, Chakotay moved to the other bunk across the cabin. There was no diurnal lighting cycle within the ellipse, so on the first "night," Seven shielded the Flyer's exterior windows at a set time and dimmed the lights to simulate evening and night. As such, a daily routine was established.

It was now the fourth day. Chakotay was finally feeling well enough to move about for part of the day and was sitting in the operations seat in the front compartment of the _Delta Flyer_. It was mid-morning, according to ship time, and so the shielding for the windows had been removed. Indistinct wisps of gas and debris of various shapes and sizes swirled and tumbled outside, and the ever-present orange glow permeated the interior of both the anomaly and the ship. Flashes of electromagnetic pulses danced on the periphery. The graviton ellipse had returned into sub-space and escape, at least for the time being, was impossible. Chakotay still felt a little shaky, but at this point both he and Seven agreed that the best medicine he could receive was activity. He sipped on the mug of green tea from the rations pack while Seven was at the pilot's console with the seat pivoted to face him.

Seven glanced at the PADD in her hands. "It's not encouraging," she finally said. Her damage assessment was complete. The first day she had changed out of the bulky EVA suit and was back into her regular clothing. They would have to replicate some additional outfits and devise a way of cleaning and reusing what they had, but that could be figured out later. Fortunately the Flyer had basic facilities connected to the rear compartment, including a sonic shower.

"Let's hear it," Chakotay replied. "Start off with a synopsis of key systems, I think that's all I can bear for now."

Chakotay had already heard bits and pieces as he recovered, but this was the first time they would sit down together and try to figure out what to do next. Seven nodded and consulted the PADD before placing it down on the console. "Okay. First off power and propulsion. Miraculously, the power distribution node from the Ares IV capsule is still functioning. As a result, the warp core is back on-line and can provide the necessary power to ship's systems, but the port nacelle is reading a fault and likely sustained physical damaged. It will take an EVA to know for certain the extent of the damage, but until repaired, we have no warp capability and won't be able to initiate a stable field for tests."

"Engaging the warp drive is not going to do us any good in here," Chakotay commented.

"I've adjusted controls for minimum consumption. At the power output needed to run critical systems continuously including the replicator and my auxiliary regeneration interface, I estimate our dilithium supply will be depleted within the year."

"Is that why you have it so warm in here?"

"Now that the ellipse back in subspace, the radiation field enclosed within appears to be producing a great deal of heat that remains trapped inside. In fact, we have to radiate some of that heat away from the Flyer to keep conditions bearable. I've set the environmental controls to a comfortable, albeit higher temperature than normal."

Chakotay frowned. Something they'll have to get used to. Still, a single year wasn't enough. "We're going to have to extend the dilithium lifetime somehow. For all we know, the ellipse might take more than a year to re-enter normal space and give us a change to escape."

"Even if it did, we're in no condition to make the attempt. Impulse engines are severely compromised. With the Ares IV power converter, our top acceleration is currently 1/8th impulse at best. That will get us around inside the anomaly, but if we hope to escape the gravimetric distortions, we'll have to get that up to half impulse or preferably much better. It looks like we'll have to rebuild the engines."

"But… we have no spare parts," Chakotay finished.

"Exactly."

"And, if we replicate the parts, it cuts into our dilithium reserve."

Seven nodded. No need to continue to confirm the obvious out loud, although it was likely some parts would have to be replicated, most notably, a replacement for the Ares IV power converter in case that too failed. "Thrusters are functioning fine," she continued, "but we have a limited amount of fuel and replicating more will again deplete our dilithium even faster."

"There's no way around it, finding an alternative source of energy is our first priority."

That was Seven's assessment too. To keep it succinct, she could very well stop with that. There were still a few key systems, however, left to discuss. "Transporters appear to still be operational, but I wouldn't trust using them on ourselves until we do some tests. Unfortunately, any tests again will deplete the dilithium."

"We can hold off on that. Perhaps conduct those tests simultaneously when we find the need to transport something."

"Agreed. Life support is functioning fine for now, but we have no replacements for any components. The atmospheric scrubbers, waste reclamation. All single point failures to the entire system."

"Shields?"

"The Borg enhancements are still on-line. It's the one system that has survived fully intact."

How ironic. Chakotay frowned. She had been absolutely right. The assessment wasn't encouraging. "What about sensors? Perhaps we can use them to find something useful in this debris field."

Seven shrugged. "I've cannibalized what I can from the phaser circuits to repair the sensors, so our weapons are off-line. The lateral array is still not functioning. I can't seem to isolate the problem, so for now, we only have forward sensors. The radiation in the anomaly limits their range considerably. For the rest, it's a mixed bag. Gravity is down to point eight. Inertial dampers are at seventy percent. Hull integrity has been compromised, but we're not in danger of a breech, and given everything else, it's the least of our worries anyway."

Chakotay set the mug of tea down and rubbed his face with this hands. "What a mess," he said. He looked out into the anomaly. The orange glow from within the anomaly illuminated the nearby debirs, all of it in a constant chaotic tumble. Seven had used thrusters to position the Flyer away from the larger pieces that might cause damage, but the hull was hit by a smaller piece every ten minutes or so. "Have you learned anything else about the anomaly itself?"

Seven shook her head. "Nothing definitive. I've concentrated on damage assessment. I have noted that the interior appears to enclose a larger volume than the ellipse's outside dimensions warrant. Sensors don't allow me to make an exact measurement, but I suspect the volume is increased at least ten thousand times."

"Due to the gravimetric field?"

"Precisely," Seven confirmed. "Not uncommon for a spatial anomaly of this intensity."

"Where is this radiation coming from?"

Seven turned to look out the forward windows as well. "It extends from the mid-visible down into the infrared and mircrowaves," Seven answered. "If you're thinking it might serve as an energy source, I've already considered it. We may be able to construct a means of creating a heat engine of sorts, but I'm uncertain it would supply the levels of energy we need."

"It sure is generating enough radiative heat."

If the radiation had extended to shorter wavelengths, Kelly would have used the solar arrays on Ares IV to harness the energy. Those arrays were now gone. As it was, Kelly survived for a time using battery reserves, but eventually he too had run out of the energy needed to power critical systems. He didn't have replicators, so eventually he would have run out of food as well. Something nagged at Chakotay. "The radiation seems to be coming from all around," he mused. "From the ellipse's periphery."

Seven didn't respond but continued to look out at the anomaly's radiation as well.

Chakotay pulled his hand through his hair. "Seven, I'm sorry it turned out this way," he said. "The fact that we're trapped here is totally my fault. I was just…" He wasn't quite sure how to say it. He had apologized before, several times in fact, what more could he say? He had been irresponsible and placed his own interests above the mission, and there was nothing he could do now to fix it.

"The gravimetric gradient," Seven said.

"What was that?"

"The source of the radiation. It's probably the gravimetric gradient between the interior of the anomaly and the contact surface within subspace. I suspect there are strong magnetic fields at the boundary as well."

There was something in Seven's voice that told Chakotay this was something significant. "Is that helpful to us?" he asked.

Seven turned back to face him and nodded. "I think so." The wheels in her head were turning. It was almost as if Chakotay could see a solution forming in her mind. "If we construct a conductive tether with a circuit loop and align it perpendicular to the anomaly's contact surface with subspace, we could possibly exploit the magnetic fields along the tether to produce an electrical current."

"Would it be enough?"

Seven thought some more. "The trick would be in extending the tether far enough into the heart of the magnetic field. A rotation would produce the necessary alternating current. If we extend too far, however, the gravimetric gradient would rip the tether apart."

"So it depends on the tensile strength of the material we can fabricate and the how close to the boundary we can extend the tether."

"Exactly," Seven said and pivoted her seat so it faced back forward. "I'll adjust the Flyer's position so we can make the required scans."

The Flyer rotated so it faced radially outward from the anomaly's center and Seven initiated the forward sensors. She studied the results for a moment. "This looks promising," she finally said.

"Would we have to replicate the material for the tether?"

"Not entirely," Seven responded and looked up out the forward window. "We could utilize metals collected from the debris field. That would save us from overtasking the replicator."

Besides the Borg shielding, that was the first ray of hope in an otherwise dismal damage report. There were still obstacles to overcome. How would they keep the tether from heating up too much given the electrical currents it would carry? How would they utilize the resulting electric current and transfer that energy to the Flyer without restricting the Flyer's motion. "Well then," Chakotay replied. "Let's start devising a plan of exploring the interior of this anomaly to gather what metal we can and constructing that tether. It sounds like we have our work cut out for us."

#

Author's note: meant to get this out earlier. So now we have two chapters of each new AU. I'll post future chapters as I become inspired.

Thank you all who have posted reviews or favorited/followed.


	3. Inside

Chapter 3 – Inside

The next day Chakotay and Seven made a circuit of the ellipse's outer perimeter along what they called its equator. The radiation intensity was greatest at one particular longitude, which Seven determiend to be the anomaly's direction through subspace, and so this was set as the prime meridian for the purposes of mapping the interior. The ellipse had an interior equatorial diameter of 15.2 kilometers and an interior polar diameter of 11.7 kilometers. In the process, they started to categorize the debris caught within the gravimetric field and plot their complicated orbits about the center. Objects from all four quadrants of the Milky Way were discovered, as well as a number of things that defied classification. Seven took particular care in characterizing the metallic objects that showed promise for inclusion in the gravimetric tether they planned to build so they could predict their future position and acquire them later if necessary. Their plan was to survey as much of the interior as possible that first day.

The two of them established a routine and worked well together. After twenty hours, they completed eighty-one percent of the mapping along with starting the rebuild of the impulse engines. The resulting survey included nearly all of the ellipse close to the outer periphery and the two poles. The one place that proved elusive was the exact center of the ellipse. High radiation not only scrambled their forward sensors, but also threatened to overwhelm the shields. There was more than enough metallic debris identified for the tether in the remaining volume, and so they decided to leave the survey of the center for another day.

They ate their meals together in the aft bay choosing to use the emergency rations to conserve replicator time. After a later dinner, they retired for a short sleep and regeneration period. The following day while Chakotay prepared a breakfast of sorts, Seven noticed the Flyer's environmental system was drawing more power than expected. After a short investigation, she discovered the infrared radiation and ambient temperature inside the anomaly was continuing to increase. New calculations indicated their available energy was severely limited due to the increased need to dissipate heat, but an exact time before the dilithium completely depleted couldn't be calculated due to the unknown nature of how hot the interior would get and how the rate of change may vary. Seven placed the computer on a continuous scan to ascertain these values, but as a result, constructing the gravimetric tether to produce more energy became top priority to the exclusion of other needed repairs. They suspended their work on the impulse engines and also stripped down to the barest minimum of attire to allow for the internal temperature of the shuttle to be set at the higher value. Fortunately they were able to set the humidity to a correspondingly low value to keep the conditions bearable. Both were now in shorts and short sleeve shirts they had replicated after recycling their previous garments.

Through ten different extra-vehicular excursions, mostly conducted by Chakotay, they were able to acquire the best pieces and bring them to a single spot near longitude zero along the equator where they had discovered a conveniently placed gravitational well. After that, the construction of the tether went fairly rapidly, although calling it a tether was perhaps a misnomer since they had to construct it strong enough to withstand the severe gravimetric gradient at the edge of the anomaly and build in several redundancies so that if a piece broke they wouldn't lose any of the precious material. The final tether was just over two hundred meters long and a lattice of interweaved strands about a centimeter to four centimeters thick with an overall diameter of about twenty centimeters.

After the evening meal, they took an abbreviated sleep and regeneration period so the next day they could get an early start and fabricate the necessary link between the tether and the ship's systems. They both figured they could rest once the tether was producing energy. It took them most of the day to configure the interface between the tether and the Flyer, but eventually everything was ready.

"I think that just about does it," Chakotay said after checking the connections one last time. "Time to flip the switch." After three straight days, they would now find out if all their work had been worth it. The Delta Flyer was station keeping near the periphery of the anomaly, the tether extending its full length from the lower hatch radially out from the center. They had chosen this gravitational well along the equatorial extent such that no thrusters were required to remain in position. It was necessary to stay attached to the tether at least eighteen hours each day to adequately power all the Flyer's systems with minimal impact on the dilithium. As time went on, that period might have to be increased depending on how high the temperature within the anomaly went. The computer still hadn't come to a solution regarding the eventual equilibrium.

Seven placed the mug she was holding down onto the console and started to enter in a sequence of commands to close the circuit and initiate power generation by the tether.

"What do you have there?" Chakotay asked.

Seven glanced up and realized he was referring to the contents of her mug. "Iced green tea," she responded and continued to enter commands. "I have noted these past few days it is your beverage of choice, and so I thought I would sample it myself."

"What do you think?"

Seven paused as she considered her answer. "It is refreshing and satisfactory," she decided. "The small content of caffeine has also proved beneficial." She then finished at the console and examined the results. The hum from the power distribution node was encouraging. "I believe we've done it. The tether is generating energy," she said and then raised an eyebrow. "A hundred and five percent of expected."

Chakotay breathed a sigh of relief. He wiped a bit of sweat off his forehead and said, "What do you think about lowering the temperature in here a few degrees?"

"Inadvisable," Seven said, and shook her head. She picked up her mug of iced green tea and took another sip. She knew he wasn't being serious.

"I know, I know. Just checking."

The energy generated by the tether now extended their survival time within the anomaly back to just over a year if the temperature didn't rise too much more. Seven continued to examine the output of the tether. "Power output appears to have settled at seventeen point five eight two Megawatts," she finally said. "A full one hundred eight point three percent of expected."

"An amazing design Seven," Chakotay said, and then added jokingly, "When's the last time I entered a commendation for you in the log?" He leaned back in one of the shuttle's chairs and closed his eyes.

"Are you referring to actual entries or ones you are planning to make?"

"Now that we have some more time, I will make those entries," Chakotay assured her without opening his eyes. They had been quite busy with other things, after all.

"This morning at oh-four hundred when I suggested you sleep an extra ten minutes while I reconstituted breakfast."

"Well thank you for that," Chakotay replied. "I was exhausted from all those EVAs."

Seven stood and placed the last reflective panel to cover the shuttle's front window. Evening had arrived, perhaps a bit early today. She was in need of regeneration as well. She glanced at Chakotay and then moved towards the back of the Flyer. "I will go aft and prepare the evening meal," she said.

Chakotay stirred, "Whose turn is it?" he asked.

"I don't mind," Seven replied.

"Oh no, not that. I mean whose turn is it to supply the entertainment?" Chakotay asked again.

Seven believed she now understood. For the last few meals, they had started talking about various things from Voyager and their past. Nothing elaborate, but interesting and engaging conversation. Seven had told of what she could remember about her assimilation, recounted her side of the recent and unfortunate chain of events with the Vaadwaur, and discussed what she knew about the origin of the Borg Queen. Chakotay seemed to have a larger reservoir to draw from and would sprinkle his tales with mythology and history. Seven felt Chakotay was a far better story teller, although for his part, he remained very attentive to her narratives as well.

"If I prepare the meal, I think it only fair that it is your turn by default," Seven responded. In fact, during lunch Chakotay had recounted an incident concerning Voyager's first encounter with the Q, so it was indeed her turn. She had read all about the incident when she reviewed the ship's logs, but his added insights were illuminating. Regardless, she didn't want to have to think at the present time. There were all sorts of interesting things she could perhaps persuade Chakotay to talk about.

Chakotay slowly stood and followed Seven into the back of the Flyer.

"Chakotay," Seven continued. "Perhaps you would entertain a request. I would like for you to elaborate on that incident that happened to you with the Voth."

"Now wait a minute. You ignored my request the other day for some details about the Borg's first excursion into the alpha quadrant."

"I did not ignore your request," Seven corrected. "I told you that, although I am aware of about the incident, there is simply no more information I can give you."

Chakotay grunted and sat down on his bunk. He contemplated laying down on his side while telling his recollections and waiting for the meal, but then decided against it for fear he would simply fall asleep after a short time. "What would you like to know?" he finally asked.

"I find it curious the Borg have no record of such a species," Seven commented. She was reconstituting a portion of a meal from the emergency rations, but was going to supplement that with replicated food. They could spare the energy with the tether now working, and she felt they deserved the treat.

"They have trans-warp capability," Chakotay said, thinking back on his experience with the Voth. "Huge ships as big as cities. I was under the impression that they didn't consider a single world as the center of the civilization, but rather it encompassed all of space."

"And they are apparently the distant descendants of a reptilian species from Earth?" Seven asked incredulous. "But no evidence exists of this progenitor species in the fossil record?"

Chakotay shrugged. "The genetic markers were all there," he said. "The human genome and the Voth genome were very similar and obviously evolved on the same planet. I was convinced as well as Forra Gegen, the Voth scientist who abducted me."

"It is too bad I was not there with you to examine the results as well," Seven said. "I imagine I might have been more skeptical."

Chakotay nodded at the suggestion. He would have liked that. "The Voth Ministry of Elders were skeptical and dismissed the claim." Chakotay paused as he thought more of his time with Forra and the Voth. "Their technology was impressive, beyond that of the Borg or most every species we've encountered. They transported _Voyager_ into a chamber within their vessel. Imagine the transporter buffer needed to accomplish that. I must admit, I'm a bit surprised we've never bumped into the Voth again. I suppose they perhaps haven't extended their range beyond that region of the Delta Quadrant, or simply choose not to be found. It all happened just a few months before we entered Borg space and you joined the crew."

That was a diplomatic way of putting it. The meal was ready and Seven moved over to hand Chakotay his portion and then backed up to sit across from him on her own bunk. "It is difficult to understand why their presence isn't more pronounced," Seven commented. "As you say, they may simply choose to remain hidden." She tentatively tasted a bit of the meal she had just prepared. "So now that the tether is functioning, what do we do next?"

Chakotay put a forkful of his own meal into his mouth and chewed slowly as he considered his response. "I'm thinking we should crack open the impulse drive again and try to increase the output. We'll need at least half impulse to safely get out of here."

Seven nodded. "Agreed. That should be our next priority. We need to be ready when the ellipse next exits subspace."

"After that, who knows." Chakotay responded and shrugged. "Perhaps we could go back and collect some of the more interesting artifacts contained in the ellipse."

"Explore," Seven said with a tinge of humor. It's how they got stuck here in the first place. "Somehow I knew it would eventually come to that."

They finished their meal in silence, Chakotay too tired to continue his description of the Voth. A discussion and speculation for another day. Seven recycled the dinnerware and then they dimmed the lights for sleep and regeneration.

"Good night Chakotay."

"Good night Seven."

Seven connected her wrist to the appropriate outlet, closed her eyes and immediately entered a regeneration state. Chakotay wasn't far behind in falling asleep. Four hours later, they were awoken when an alarm sounded from the front of the Flyer. Both Chakotay and Seven were up immediately, moved quickly to the front compartment and positioned themselves at different control stations.

"The tether has stopped generating power," Chakotay said.

Seven studied her readings. "There's something wrong with our attitude," she finally said. "We're in a slow rotation and thrusters are compensating. It appears as if thrusters engaged automatically to keep us in position."

"Are we still attached to the tether?"

Seven moved forward and detached one of the radiation shields. Outside, they could see the tether spinning end over end towards the center of the ellipse, a dark line within the orange glow. Fortunately it appeared to still be in one piece with no bends or kinks that would indicate damage.

"How did that happen?" Chakotay said with disgust.

"Unkonwn," Seven replied moving back to the sensors. "If the tether's anchor failed, the worst that should have happened would be for it to be pulled closer to the periphery. For it to move towards the center of the anomaly, an external force must have been exerted."

"I suppose we should go after it."

"We must," Seven said, back at the front of the Flyer to remove the other radiation shields.

Chakotay moved to a different station and shook his head. "It looks like it will reach the central radiation field before we get a chance to catch up."

"We'll be testing the Borg shielding sooner rather than later," Seven said matter-of-factly.

Chakotay moved back to the piloting station and powered up the impulse engines. With the construction of the tether, the impulse engines were not up to what they hoped, but they were at least able to get it working again. "Here we go," he said, and they started towards the center of the anomaly in pursuit of their tether.

"I have the Borg enhanced shields on-line," Seven stated. She examined sensor readings. "Seventy-five seconds before we encounter the radiation barrier and ninety-two seconds before we intercept the tether."

They continued their pursuit, Chakotay pushing the engines as much as he dared. He kept glancing down at the amber lights on the console to make sure he didn't overdo it.

"The tether is off sensors," Seven said suddenly.

Chakotay looked back up from the piloting controls. "I no longer have a visual," he said. The tether had been there just moments before. "Should I press forward?"

"The radiation field might be obscuring our sight as well as sensors," Seven speculated. "I suggest we continue our pursuit. The shields will hold." Again she looked at sensors. "Five seconds to the radiation field."

"We're at maximum impulse. Punching through," Chakotay commented.

The moment the Flyer encountered the radiation field, however, they started to decelerate at an alarming rate. So much so that the inertial dampers didn't compensate entirely. There was something more to this field at the center of the ellipse than elevated radiation. Both Seven and Chakotay were pushed forward and onto the Flyer's controls at their respective stations. In a matter of seconds, the Flyer was forced to a dead stop. Chakotay only had a moment to recover and look up outside through the front windows. "What the hell?" he murmured, just as a transporter beam initiated taking them both.

#

Author's note: The one line description of this story does say "… and they find more than they bargain for inside." Thanks for reading. Reviews and comments are always welcome.


	4. Utopia

Chapter 4 – Utopia

Chakotay felt as if he were floating in a cocoon. The air smelled sweet and he tried to recall a dream he was having but couldn't quite remember. It had been pleasant, and warm, and filled with light, but the details remained elusive and out of reach. Chakotay opened his eyes sluggishly. He tried to recall where he had just been. He was looking up at a white ceiling and realized he was laying on his back on a comfortable bed of pillows. The light was relatively dim, but soon enough he noticed its intensity was slowly increasing as he became more and more awake. It was difficult to ascertain the source of the light, perhaps coming from the wall, ceiling and floor simultaneously. He and Seven had just… Seven. He looked about and discovered Seven was lying atop an identical bed beside him with both in the center of the room and not up against the walls. As his head cleared, it took him a moment to realize she had no clothes on, and when he glanced down at himself, he realized he was naked as well. She appeared to be stirring.

Seven sat up and blinked several times. "We were transported out of the Flyer," she stated. She then looked down at herself. She turned to face Chakotay. "Our clothes."

Chakotay shook himself fully awake and sat up as well. Before he could respond, however, someone entered the room. The alien was of an indeterminate gender and was clothed in a thin tan robe. The arms extended midway down it's forearm while the robe itself midway down it's calf. It's head was clean shaven, although it occurred to Chakotay it might naturally be that way. Although humanoid in appearance, it's facial features were not as pronounced. A smaller nose that blended into the face and ears that were more indentations on the skull and did not stick out to any extent. Although he couldn't identify the alien, Chakotay felt he had seen his species before.

"Greetings," the alien said with a slight bow. "You are in our home." Both Chakotay and Seven stood and nodded back. It was a bit disconcerting to stand there without any clothes. The alien seemed to be examining them both from head to toe, but then lingered on Seven. He seemed intrigued by the appearance of her Borg implants.

"Why have you brought us here?" Chakotay asked, a note of irritation in his voice as the sleepiness wore off. Their circumstances and the speed of his recovery made him think it was perhaps the effects of a drug wearing off.

The alien returned his attention to Chakotay and seemed somewhat perplexed. "We were surprised to discover you in that vessel. Surmising you were trapped, we instructed the mechanism to bring you here to recover."

"Then why sedate us and remove our clothes?"

"The mechanism must have deemed it appropriate," the alien responded. "You were contained within the device for many seconds. Your deficiencies were attended to. A slight dehydration for each of you, and the effects of a recent concussion and other injuries for you. We use something similar in our healing and rejuvenation process." The alien then glanced down and touched his sleeve. As if thinking of it for the first time, he looked back up and added, "Do you desire to be covered?"

"Yes," Seven stated.

The alien moved over to a portion of the wall and pressed it. A drawer separated from the wall and the alien reached inside and extracted two garments and gave them to Chakotay and Seven. They both pulled them on over their head. They were identical in appearance to the thin robe the alien wore.

A second alien then stepped into the room. In appearance, this alien was nearly identical to the first, although with perhaps thinner facial features. Under the robe, however, it was clear the second alien was pregnant. If the two were a couple, as appeared to be the case, it would make the first alien a male and the second alien a female. She stepped up beside the first. She looked up with a wide grin and clasped her hands together. "Oh, how lovely."

"We've been trapped inside the ellipse for several days," Chakotay replied. "I was injured by a plasma discharge when we first attempted to leave."

"The ellipse," the female alien asked. Her voice was softer, almost musical. "Is that the name of your craft?"

"No. Our ship is called the _Delta Flyer_. The ellipse is what we call the gravimetric anomaly we're inside."

The two aliens glanced at each other. They appeared to not understand Chakotay's words. "By ellipse and gravimetric anomaly, you mean outside Utopia?" the male alien asked. "What brought you to be outside in the first place?"

"Let me guess," the female interrupted. "You were exploring. Were you searching for material? Are you sculptors as well?" She looked to the first alien again and laughed.

The male smiled. "I am a sculptor," he said with a slight bow. "In fact, I just acquired a large quantity of material to use in my art when we found you. Quite unusual to obtain so much at once. And pure. It is absolutely perfect for my purposes."

"He is extremely talented," the female added, fawning over her mate. He seemed to enjoy the attention. "It is why I was attracted to him in the first place and agreed to leave my previous companion and marry him. At least for the foreseeable future. I am Jawil and this is Hazvour. What do you call yourselves?"

The aliens had asked many questions, and yet didn't seem exactly interested in hearing answers. They had called their home Utopia. The universal translator must have utilized the closest analogy to whatever place name the aliens had given. Chakotay glanced about the room, but did not see his communicator that contained the translator. He would have to ask about that later. They must be hearing the language through the alien's translator or equivalent instead. "My name is Chakotay and this is Seven of Nine," he finally responded.

The two aliens appeared even more surprised. "Those are curious names," Jawil said. "There are no citizens of Utopia with them." She took a step closer and lowered her voice. "Are you from the… other place? Am I right?" The prospect seemed exciting to her, but again she didn't wait for an answer. "I have only read about your people, but there are all sorts of rumors and speculation. Stories throughout the ages, many of which I can't imagine being true. From long ago. I have heard you experiment in ornamenting the body in various ways. Looking like us, but different."

"It is curious," Hazvour said. "The thin strands on your head, may I?" He was reaching towards Seven's hair. Seven nodded and Hazvour tentatively lifted some of her hair and let it pass through his fingers. He smiled. "What material is it made of? And is it fashionable to make those protrusions from your face? I find it all so fascinating and stimulating."

"And the metal embedded in your skin," Jawil added gesturing to Seven. "I have never heard of such a thing before. Do many in the other place do this? Might it be possible for you to show me how it's done?"

Fortunately, again, the aliens didn't wait for answers to any of their questions. "Come," Hazvour said motioning to the door. "We would like to show you Utopia. I have never heard of anyone from the other place venturing into ours. At least not in many generations. Utopia is different, I'm sure, and we are quite proud of it. One of my sculptures now adorns the plaza and I would like to show you both."

Chakotay turned to Seven and she raised an eyebrow. By their conversation, it was possible the aliens mistook Chakotay and Seven for their own people from this other place. Whatever that meant. "We would appreciate that," Chakotay said, deciding to go along with the error in order to gain more information.

"Our ship," Seven said as they were leaving the room. "Where is it now?"

"We left it outside," Hazvour said. "The mechanism that activated to extract you from your ship is also holding it in place."

"A tractor beam?" Seven asked.

Hazvour frowned. "I don't know what that means," he responded.

"There are several mechanisms in the room that are automated and we don't normally use," Jawil added. "Perhaps it is a tractor beam, as you say."

"I would like to see," Seven replied.

"Come, we shall go to the plaza first," Hazvour said. Again he looked back and forth between Chakotay and Seven, perhaps soaking in the novelty of their look, and then he turned to follow Jawil. "Come along now. This way."

They walked down a short hallway. The walls, ceiling and floor were like those in the room in which they awoke, white and possibly the source of the illumination throughout. On short pedestals at equal spacing on either side were geometric shapes and constructions made from metal. Some quite elaborate. Hazvour glanced back several times, apparently to ascertain whether Chakotay and Seven were examining any of these sculptures. Chakotay recalled what Hazvour had stated about his occupation and stopped to examine some. One appeared to be coils of thin rope made of what appeared to be a chainmail and shaped into pyramids while another a wire frame structure of an icosahedron balanced atop a tetrahedron. "Are these some of your sculptures?" he asked.

Hazvour turned quickly. "Yes. Yes they are," he said excitedly. "Do you like them? Do you like that one in particular?" He was referring to the icosahedron and tetrahedron.

"It is… very interesting," Chakotay replied.

Seven examined the sculpture more carefully. It was constructed of silver, if she was not mistaken, molded into three to four millimeter diameter rods and bent to form the shapes. "Do all your sculptures utilize metal such as this?"

"Indeed," Hazvour said and began walking once more. "There are a few other artists and sculptors currently active here in Utopia and they use a variety of materials, but I am most fond of casting and shaping with metals. We typically recycle the material, but occasionally one can still find something outside, particularly when new material arrives."

"As I'm sure you are well aware," Jawil added with a smile, obviously still under the impression that Seven and Chakotay had been outside to collect the metal or whatever else for their own purposes. In a sense, she was exactly correct. It was likely Hazvour's big find had been their tether.

"Are you an artist or sculptor as well," Chakotay asked Jawil.

She shook her head. "Oh no. Most recently, for a time I read from the great masters, at least the complete manuscripts, and then spent more time with my own writing. I was never satisfied with the results, however, and suspended my efforts. I might one day return to it. After that I explored the out of the way places in Utopia. I spent years documenting my findings and studying the various automations I found. I was considered a bit odd during that period." She smiled and looked towards Hazvour and he nodded and smiled back. "When I married Hazvour all that changed. I have been content watching and aiding in his work."

"I wasn't always a sculptor," Hazvour ventured. "I was a mathematician for a time. But mostly so."

They approached what must be the foyer of their dwelling. A hairless cat-like creature rose from where it had been laying near the wall and then stood on its hind legs. It was about a meter tall and stepped closer, the claws on its forepaws bared. Hazvour stepped forward and held up his arm. The animal hissed and clicked, and Hazvour hissed back, almost sounding as if he was conversing with the creature. Immediately, the animal fell back down on its four legs, turned, and then moved off down the hallway in the opposite direction. "Forgive her," Hazvour said, turning back to Seven and Chakotay. "She'll get used to having the two of you here." The creature was apparently their pet.

Jawil move over to a slight indentation in the wall. "Here we are." She pressed it with a twist of her hand and a portion moved inward and then slid to the side. They all stepped through the threshold and into what, to all appearances, was the surface of a planet. In front of them stretched a large space. Much of the ground was covered in what looked like short grass and there were several trees in what appeared to be orchards. Along the outside were other dwellings similar to the one they just exited. Above was a blue cloudless sky, although no sun. As in Jawil and Hazvour's home, the illumination appeared to come from everywhere and no shadows were cast. Jawil appeared pleased by her guests' reaction.

"Our main plaza is the envy of the other place, or so I've been told," Hazvour said, holding his hand out for them all to proceed along a path that led from the doorway off to the right. It joined a larger path that weaved into the interior of the space.

The air was fragrant. Many trees within the plaza were in bloom and others hung heavy with fruit. On closer examination, the grass was varying shades of green and blue and rolled in gentle hills. In the trees and in the sky, flying creatures like birds flew. About the periphery and cutting across in regular places were well maintained paths, and at various places were what appeared to be fountains and ponds. All the natural and constructed formations were beautiful and unique, some self-luminescent and glowing in different colors. As Chakotay looked about, there was one amazing sight after another. Throughout the entire area, however, he could only see perhaps a half dozen other aliens. There was a couple laying side by side on a distant hill, another three walking along a path with several of the same catlike animals as had been in Jawil and Hazvour's dwelling walking beside them on their hind legs, and a solitary figure standing at the top of a small hill in front of one of the fountains. Not many people at all for such an immense and spectacular space. "There are not many people about," Chakotay commented.

"No more or less than usual," Hazvour replied. "I suppose the conditions in the other place are quite different. Crowded? Our population is kept at one hundred individual citizens and this is strictly maintained. To do otherwise would be foolhardy. We would deplete our resources, jeopardize Utopia, and impact the freedoms we enjoy."

"Our leader is very wise," Jawil offered. "She provides us everything we need and we live without care. All citizens equal. All our needs provided for. It is why those from the other place wish to discover Utopia."

Seven turned and looked about. "I would estimate the dwellings around the periphery could hold a thousand or more," she said.

"And there are three other plazas similar to this one, although unoccupied and not nearly as beautiful," Hazvour replied. "They are all for us, and we could move if we wish. The sustainability of our freedoms and lifestyle are paramount. We hear that in the other place there are no such limits and the conditions aren't as good as we have it here."

"It is why you all wish to come here," Jawil added.

"Only a hundred people are required to run all this?" Chakotay asked, gesturing about.

Hazvour and Jawil looked at each other. "No one runs Utopia," Jawil said with a smile. "Utopia runs itself. The automations help, and perhaps with supervision from our leader."

Hazvour waved his hand. "The hundred citizens of Utopia are the pinnacle of sentience. Serious conflict and suffering, those things are known to us only in myth and stories. Illness is very rare. How was it for you?" He narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. "Were you outside to escape the other place? Find your way to Utopia?"

Chakotay again turned to Seven. To keep up the ruse, should they hazard an answer or simply let it pass? Their hosts didn't seem to mind having many of their questions unanswered. They continued to walk casually down the path.

"Oh look," Hazvour said stopping and pointing across the plaza. "There, to the right of the fountain at the far end." He was gesturing to what must have been his own sculpture. From this distance, it appeared to be a tangle of trees reaching up, but each branch vaguely gave the impression of arms and hands. It was perhaps fifty meters in height, about average in size amongst the dozen or so other sculptures at this end of the plaza. The mass of metal used must be immense. "It replaced one from ages past," he continued. "I don't think anyone remembered exactly from who and the records from that time have of course been lost. It was a ghastly thing, and I was able to recycle much of it in this work here."

"Ages past," Seven repeated.

"Many generations ago," Hazvour clarified. "A million or more years, perhaps."

"How long have your people been here?"

Again Hazvour appeared perplexed, as he had with Chakotay's first question. Jawil, however, laughed carelessly, as if Seven had told a joke. "You're funny," she replied. "Always, of course. Since the beginning of time the citizens have been blessed to live in Utopia."

Hazvour laughed haltingly, as if obligated for not having understood the tease in the first place. He returned his gaze to the sculpture across the plaza and Chakotay and Seven exchanged another quick look. Was it possible they did not know they were trapped inside a graviton ellipse cut off from the rest of the universe?

"Tell us more about your life here in Utopia," Chakotay asked.

Hazvour frowned a bit, perhaps wanting to talk more of his sculptures, but Jawil stepped up amiably. "All our needs are provided for and our leader ensures absolute equality of all citizens, maximum tolerance, and above all, total individual freedoms."

"That is key," Hazvour added, being drawn into the conversation after all. "We are free to pursue anything or anyone we desire." He turned to Seven with a smile. "Absolute individual freedoms lead to absolute happiness for all citizens."

"And there are never instances where the freedoms of two individuals are in conflict?" Seven countered.

Hazvour frowned again. He was apparently not used to being challenged. "There are of course minor disagreements," Jawil offered. "And if necessary, they are resolved by our leader who is elected each century by all the inhabitants of Utopia. Our current leader is so popular, she has been reelected a dozen times."

The details of how an amiable resolution for all was accomplished was not divulged. From their comments, it was also apparent the citizens of Utopia were long-lived. Jawil gestured down the path and turned to Hazvour. "Should we complete a quarter circuit of this end of the plaza before returning to our dwelling?" she asked. "We would get a better view of your work."

Hazvour hesitated. "Perhaps after the meal," he said. "We have invited the neighbors to meet our companions and they will be arriving soon. We need to prepare. We could continue our tour later."

"As part of the tour, perhaps you could show us the mechanism that transferred us from our ship," Seven suggested.

"How delightful," Jawil chimed in. "Perhaps you could identify the tractor beam for us."

Seven nodded back.

Hazvour seemed distracted at first, but then nodded. He gestured along the path back towards their dwelling and then turned to lead the way. "Come along now."

After a few steps, Seven reached over and touched Chakotay's shoulder. She gestured off to the right. At the other end of the plaza, the alien who had been standing on the small hill in front of the fountain was now active. His arms were raised and moving, as if he was conducting an orchestra. Instead, the water of the fountain danced in arches and pillars in a kaleidoscope of colors. A visual melody of shapes and light. Both Hazvour and Jawil weren't paying attention to the display, but Chakotay was enthralled. Seven's hand lingered on his shoulder and he glanced back to her and she was also mesmerized. He had a considerable urge to reach out and draw her closer. Just then, the water of the fountain formed a double helix and then spiraled into two separated loops. "Fascinating," Seven commented.

How unexpected it was to discover Utopia at the center of the graviton ellipse. Their prospects for surviving had greatly increased. The citizens of Utopia appeared to live an idyllic existence in peace and creative freedom.


	5. The Truth

Chapter 5 – The Truth

The aliens returned with Seven and Chakotay to their original room. In their absence, the beds had been removed and replaced by several chairs, undoubtedly by some sort of automation. One of the walls was covered in a movement of color that reminded Chakotay of a kaleidoscope. As with everything in Utopia, it was beautiful and mesmerizing.

"The patterns are designed to induce a calming effect," Hazvour commented. It was unclear if the lights were being projected onto the wall or emanated from within the wall. Two of Hazvour's sculptures now also sat on small tables in the front corners. "I'll let you know when the meal is ready and our guests have arrived," Hazvour said, again with a slight bow, and then departed.

Jawil stayed in the room and appeared expectant, as if hoping for something more to happen. Was she waiting to see what Seven and Chakotay would do next? With only a hundred Utopians, perhaps the novelty of their arrival and presence was great entertainment. "Tell me more of the other place," she finally stated. "Are there really great balls of self-luminous gas that are powered by nuclear fusion?"

Chakotay hesitated. It took him a moment to register what she had asked. "Stars?"

"Yes. I believe I've heard that term before. Is that what they are called? I've read that you live on the surface of worlds that circle these stars and must voyage great distances to travel between them."

Chakotay had thought the Utopians might not realize they were trapped inside the graviton ellipse and were unaware of the outside universe, but now it occurred to him that the 'other place' as described Hazvour and Jawil could be simply outside the graviton ellipse. Stars and planets and the vastness of empty space. The rest of the Galaxy. Perhaps they knew the true nature of the universe after all. "That's correct," Chakotay finally replied. "There are millions of such worlds in our Galaxy alone, thousands of those worlds are inhabited with beings such as ourselves."

Jawil's eyes widened.

Seven had been standing off to the side, but was drawn into the conversation as well. "Trillions of individuals," she added. "And a wide variety of unique cultures."

Jawil laughed. "How splendid," she said clapping her hands. "All of them similar to the citizens of Utopia?"

Chakotay shrugged. "Many species are. Humans, like Seven and myself. Vulcans, Klingons, Cardassians, Romulans, Bolians. But there are some quite different. The Tholians, for example, are crystalline mineral-based organisms with eight appendages whose biology requires high temperatures to survive."

"How wonderful."

Chakotay stepped closer. "Do Utopians ever venture to the other place?"

Jawil laughed again. "This is marvelous. What funny questions you ask. Occasionally, things from the other place make their way to just outside Utopia. As you did. But then why would we ever choose to leave?"

"To see these other places," Chakotay countered.

"Utopia has all that we could ever hope for. It is those from the other place who yearn to find Utopia."

"Even so, do you know of a way to get back to the other place?"

Jawil shook her head. "I don't think so. Besides, why would you want to leave? We'll make it quite comfortable for you here." She then furrowed her brow and stepped closer to one of the chairs. "There is an ancient story, however, perhaps only myth. Found in fragments in some of the oldest records we have reconstructed after the purge."

"The purge?" Chakotay asked.

"There was a leader some time ago, many millions of years, who erased all the historical records and stored writings. Afterwards, efforts were made to reconstruct what had been lost. It was difficult to separate fact from fiction, and so what remains are mostly considered myth and stories. They are so far removed from our time, no one really takes these stories serious anymore, but one myth tells of some Utopians seeding many of the worlds in the other place with our DNA. If the stories are true and they were to do that, then I suppose some must have ventured to the other place as you suggest."

Chakotay smiled widely and he snapped his fingers. He finally remembered something that had been alluding him since he first saw the aliens. Why hadn't he recognized it before? "I know why your species looks so familiar," he said excitedly. "You are the progenitor race."

"Is that what you call Utopians?" Jawil replied surprised. "You knew of us before you came here."

"Not as such," Chakotay said. "But I believe I've seen a recording of one of your race."

Seven cocked her head. "I am familiar with this recording," she stated. "The progenitor race seeded the primordial oceans of many worlds, where life was in its infancy. The seed codes directed the evolution toward a physical form resembling their own."

Jawil nodded. "So the myth states as well," she replied.

"The seed codes also contained a message, which was scattered in fragments on many different worlds," Seven continued. "It was the progenitors' hope that we would have to come together in fellowship and companionship to finally hear the message."

"And we did, only just a few years ago," Chakotay added.

"Fascinating," Jawil said. "I was not aware of this encoded message. There was someone long ago, when I first became sentient and made a citizen, who began to insist Utopians actually once lived in the other place. His ideas were declared apostate."

"What happened to him?"

Jawil shrugged. "His beliefs were revised, as required, and he lived a few years before making room for a new citizen."

His beliefs were revised? The casualness in the way Jawil said this bothered Chakotay, but the latter part troubled him more. "He died?" he asked.

"Oh, not of an illness or anything. It was completely voluntary for he was very old and becoming post-sentient."

Voluntary? Post-sentient? Before Chakotay could probe further, Jawil touched her abdomen and sat down quickly on one of the chairs. From all appearances, she appeared to be having a sharp pain, perhaps even a contraction. After a short time, however, it subsided.

"Are you okay?" Chakotay inquired.

"Just feeling fatigued," Jawil replied. "It is all this excitement and activity. In recent days I have not ventured forth from our dwelling much. It's almost time."

Chakotay nodded, seeing her hand resting on her abdomen. If he were to guess, he suspected she was in her eighth or ninth month, if the gestation period was the same for Utopians and humans. If they were indeed the progenitor race, that wasn't too farfetched considering most humanoid species of the Galaxy, presumably distant descendants of the progenitors, had a similar gestation length. "How long until your baby is due?" he asked.

Jawil appeared confused. "What baby?"

Now Chakotay was equally confused. Seven stepped closer. "The one you are carrying," she said.

Jawil glanced down at her extended abdomen and smiled. "Oh, you are mistaken. There are a hundred citizens in Utopia already. There is no baby. New citizens are extraordinarily rare. It is almost time, however, to remove the fetus and interrupt this pregnancy."

"But you must almost be ready to give birth," Seven protested. "Surely the baby would survive even now."

Jawil shook her head. "Stop calling it a baby. There are already a hundred citizens," she repeated. "This fetus is to be used for other purposes."

Seven appeared stunned and Chakotay equally so. "Other purposes?" Chakotay asked.

"Of course," Jawil replied amiably. "The fetus's DNA and cells are a compatible match for both Hazvour and myself. Only very rarely is it required to allow it to last this long, and it's oh so inconvenient. But necessary. The cells are needed to enhance the quality of our lives. In healing and rejuvenation. To aide in our longevity."

"You use the fetal cells to extend your lifespans?"

"Of course," Jawil said. "Once before, with my companion two times ago, was it required I carry the fetus for this long. I'm sure for you in the other place it is quite different." Only now did Chakotay detect in her voice and manner a sense that she was talking down to them, as if talking to a child. "For us Utopians, our lives would last no longer than your own otherwise. Perhaps a century or two. In Utopia, we can extend our lives to a hundred thousand years or more, if we so wish. Occasionally it is necessary to allow a pregnancy to progress to a certain point for the fetus to provide the necessary material. But I can bear this burden for the greater good it serves."

Now both Seven and Chakotay were horrified, a look of utter disgust on Seven's face. "You would terminate another life to extend your own?"

Jawil frowned and became angry. "Why continue to say such a hateful thing. We are apparently civilized beyond your understanding. There is no life being terminated. The fetus is not a citizen and is pre-sentient. It does not think and feel on the same level as Utopians think. It is just useful tissue at this point. Consider the good it achieves by extending our lives. The citizens of Utopia are the pinnacle of sentience. Think of Hazvour's sculptures and what more he has yet to accomplish. His legacy."

"But… you're wrong. The fetus is also a sentient life with much potential," Chakotay protested.

Jawil now stood, very much disturbed. "This is no longer amusing," she stated. "Such vile and hateful things you say. I will not hear it! Who are you to lecture me?" She moved quickly to the door and out into the hallway. Soon after, the door slid shut and then blended into the rest of the wall. It was difficult to tell it was still there save for a small indentation.

Seven and Chakotay exchanged a quick look, and then Seven moved over to the door. She touched the indentation, as she had seen Jawil do when exiting the dwelling earlier, but the door remained closed. "I think we've been locked inside."

Chakotay stepped over and tried as well. There was no button to push or lever to pull. He sighed heavily and shook his head. "I should have known better," he muttered.

"What do you mean?"

"I was intrigued by this Utopia. It appeared so idyllic, particularly after our time inside the ellipse."

Seven was thoughtful. "I disagree. Our time in the _Delta Flyer_ wasn't so bad."

"But definitely not as comfortable as this."

Seven shook her head. "Comfort is irrelevant. No matter how spectacular this Utopia appears, Hazvour and Jawil seem rather superficial and stagnant in their self-absorbed existence. If the Utopians here are indeed the Progenitors, they don't appear to have retained knowledge of their past. An errant leader simply erasing most of their history."

"You're right of course. Five billion years, and here they are. Isolated, with no history and no future. And here I was blinded by the superficial comforts."

Seven raised an eyebrow. "As for us," she continued, "Difficulty and hard work has its advantages. I was beginning to enjoy our time working together on the tether. I believe, if left to our own devices and without the Utopians, we would have survived and succeeded in escaping from the ellipse."

Chakotay smiled at this. He had to admit, despite the guilt he still felt at getting them into this predicament, there was a certain satisfaction in working through the various problems they had encountered. The day to day work of survival, particularly enjoyable when it was with someone like Seven. "I suppose all so-called Utopian societies have that fatal flaw. Centralized control has always led to tyranny. Even if their goals are equality or prosperity and may seem noble at first, at some point, order must be maintained through suppression of alternative ideologies and the exercise of totalitarian control, and that naturally extends to control over life and death itself." He shook his head again and frowned. "Earth's history was witness to quite of few attempts at Utopian controlled societies before the Third World War. Stalin's Soviet Union, Hitler's Third Reich, Green's Enlightened Coalition."

"The Utopian's society and culture may have survived for billions of years," Seven commented, "And so, in a sense, they appear to have succeeded in creating a lasting Utopia, at least for a few of them. But it came at a great cost."

"Exactly!" Chakotay agreed. He thought back to the things Jawil had said. "Pre and post sentience? Abortion and euthanasia. They have extended their own lives and live in luxury, but have lost any empathy and respect for life other than their own. And as you pointed out, they have no memory of their five billion year history, and so have lost their direction and meaning. From Jawil's description, what remains of their historical records are fragmented at best and not even recognized as such."

"And we should not forget, we are not citizens of this Utopia," Seven observed. "I doubt we have any rights under their law, and there is apparently no room for any more citizens at this time. In fact, they treated us more like pets. What will they do with us?"

Chakotay shrugged. "I imagine we will find out soon enough."

Seven touched the wall again and then looked about the room. "It's staggering to think all of this is billions of years old."

"Everything we see has probably been regenerated many times over during that period. Probably like the Utopians themselves with their rejuvenation process to extend their lives."

Seven became thoughtful. "All they would need is a reliable and constant source of energy. Perhaps that is exactly what they found here in the center of the graviton ellipse. The ability to tap into the energy of subspace directly. As long as the universe exists, they have a constant source of power."

Chakotay was nodding and closed his eyes. "That reminds me," he said trying to recall something. "When we first entered the dampening field and were slowed to a stop, just before we were transported off the _Delta Flyer_. I saw something."

"I did not get a good look outside before I lost consciousness," Seven replied.

"I did. I must have been seeing Utopia. A ship at the center of the ellipse. It was immense and bright but appeared distorted somewhat around the edges."

"Undoubtedly the gravitational fields of the ellipse warping the space-time inside."

"Yes, but…" Chakotay said and shook his head. "The ship and ellipse were connected somehow. It's hard to describe."

Seven nodded. "It is as we suspected," she suggested. "The Utopian ship drawing power from subspace via the ellipse."

"Perhaps…"

They stood silent for a short time and then Seven began to pace. She looked about in frustration. "We must get back to the _Delta Flyer_ ," she stated. "Escape this place."

"Would we be safe outside in the ellipse? It's probable that Hazvour used a tractor beam of some sort to take our tether, and we were on the periphery of the ellipse, the furthest from the center we could get. I imagine we would be vulnerable to the tractor beam anywhere within the ellipse."

Seven frowned. "I would much prefer to meet my fate with you out there than to be here in Utopia. If we could get access to wherever Hazvour was when he activated the tractor beam, perhaps we could disable it."

Chakotay stepped forward and examined the indentation again. Suddenly he felt a shock and was moved back from the door. After a second, he realized he couldn't move, and then a second after that, he couldn't talk.

The door slid open and three aliens filed in. Jawil, Hazvour and another. This last was holding a device that glowed blue in its hand. "Which of them said it?" the newcomer asked. By the sound of her voice, the newcomer was female.

"Both," Jawil answered.

The newcomer frowned. "You dressed them up as citizens," she said shaking her head.

"They requested to be covered, but they could hardly be mistaken as citizens."

"You should have informed me immediately when they were first brought to Utopia. I know it's been a very long interval, but you know the stories. They can be dangerous."

"They seemed harmless enough leader," Hazvour said. "An innocent diversion for us."

"Harmless, perhaps. But potentially disturbing nonetheless as Jawil discovered."

"I, ah…" Hazvour ventured tentatively. "I don't want them to be damaged. Particularly the female. I'm quite interested in her."

The Utopian leader scoffed. Almost judgmental, but not quite. She narrowed her eyes and looked back and forth between Chakotay and Seven. "A mated pair? Were you thinking of breading them? And what of you Jawil. Are you interested in the male?"

Jawil frowned. "Oh, I don't know. It was all so amusing at first. How was I to know they were filled with such hate?"

The leader moved closer to Chakotay and examined him as she would an animal in a laboratory experiment. Her skin was smooth and her appearance nearly identical to the other two, and yet she seemed much older. Ancient even. It was something about her eyes. No matter how Chakotay tried, he couldn't move a muscle. The leader shook her head. "Even now he struggles to be released, not quite understanding he is completely helpless. He might not be very intelligent, but I sense in him danger if unaltered."

"Oh but the female is not that way at all," Hazvour said.

The leader waved her hand to cut him off and stepped back. "You need not worry. We can easily make them more compliant without damaging them. You know that. You should have come to me first and we could have avoided all this unpleasantness."

"Of course," Hazvour said deflated. "As you decry."

The Utopian leader rubbed her chin with her free hand. "Their vessel is still outside?"

"Yes leader."

"Destroy it immediately and expel the wreckage from the field."

"As you decry."

"We should wipe their memories as well," the leader concluded curtly. "That will help immensely and there's no sense in exposing us to any more nonsense." She stepped back up to Chakotay and raised the device in her hand to his eye level. Chakotay again tried desperately to move, to scream, but as the Utopian leader had said previously, he was completely helpless.

#

Author's note: Sorry it's taken so long to pick this story up again. I have the rest of it thought out and plan to finish in the next week or so (about three or four more chapters). Thanks to all who have picked it back up or are starting afresh. Reviews, as always, are welcome and appreciated.


	6. The Ship

Chapter 6 – The Ship

Chakotay stood frozen in front of the Utopian leader, held in place by an instrument in her hand. She had just moved the device up to his head and it's ominous blue glow started to pulse. Suddenly, Seven stepped forward and in one smooth motion knocked the device out of the leader's hand and pushed her towards the wall. The Utopian's eyes widened in horror and disbelief, not fully comprehending how Seven had not been restrained. Hazvour and Jawil moved backwards as Chakotay, released from the device's power, stumbled towards them with a gasp.

"Do not harm us!" Jawil shrilled. Both she and Hazvour knelt down and cowered in the corner of the room. The Utopian leader now also appeared paralyzed with shock.

Seven scanned the room and moved over to pick up the device the leader had been holding. It started to glow again in her hand, as it had before, but Seven quickly found a button on the side that terminated its function. "We must bind them," she stated matter-of-factly.

"You wouldn't dare!" the leader shot back. The impertinent suggestion finally snapping her out of the shock that Seven had somehow resisted her control. She was now up against the wall, her eyes blazing.

"We could tear strips off this clothing," Seven suggested, ignoring the leader's protest.

"Just a moment, I have a better idea," Chakotay said and moved out into the hallway. He quickly found the sculpture with chain mail rope and removed what he required and returned to the room. Seven and the Utopians hadn't moved.

Seven eyed the rope suspiciously. "Will that be strong enough?" she inquired.

Chakotay pulled at the length and then snapped it several times to try and pull apart the links. He then examined it carefully. "It will do," he replied and then turned to Hazvour. "Very well constructed sir."

"You barbarian," Hazvour spat, but remained close to the floor and did not move. Jawil whimpered beside him.

"As I told you," the Utopian leader said, her calm now returned and standing defiantly. "They would kill us if it suited their needs. These are dangerous creatures. Although formed in our own image, they lack the true enlightenment and sentience of Utopians."

"I've had just about enough of that," Chakotay replied and moved over to tie the wrists and ankles of the leader first.

"There is nowhere for you to go," the leader said smugly, offering no resistance. "You will be caught. And you will be punished. And then you will be domesticated."

"Shall we gag them?" Seven asked, obviously having lost all her patience as well.

The leader's eyes opened wider for a brief instant, but she remained quiet. In short order, Chakotay had the three Utopians tied up and moved them so they sat in a row against the far wall of the room. Seven examined the knots and tested them and nodded satisfied.

"You were unaffected by the device?" Chakotay finally asked.

Seven looked at the instrument, still in her hand, and nodded back. "My Borg cortical node must have deflected the field emanating from the device. I remained still when I realized you were incapacitated in order to discover their intent and only acted to prevent you from sustaining any damage."

"Thank you," Chakotay replied and then laughed. "What a day."

Seven moved over to the corner of the room. Using the base of one of Hazvour's sculptures, she smashed the alien devise between it and the table. Satisfied the instrument could no longer be used, she brushed her hands and returned to Chakotay's side. He had observed the process with a smile. He then looked about the room and out into the hallway. "Our first order of business is to search the rest of the house to find the room where Hazvour first discovered our ship and activated the tractor beam on our tether."

"It's not in the house," Hazvour replied, attempting to sound dismissive but failing to hide his fear and frustration.

Seven raised an eyebrow. "We'll need a guide then. Jawil remarked during our outing that she once explored the out of the way places of Utopia." Jawil whimpered again at the mention of her name.

Chakotay nodded. He wanted to talk to Jawil without the other Utopians present, so he moved over and scooped her up in his arms. "Do not harm me!" she shrilled, although offered no resistance.

Hazvour struggled, but quickly stopped as the chain must have cut into his skin. "Be brave my love," he called out instead.

"Tell them nothing," the Utopian leader cautioned as Chakotay carried Jawil out of the room and down the hallway. Seven followed close behind, closing the door of the room with Hazvour and the Utopian leader inside. A short distance past where they had exited the dwelling earlier, they came upon another room that was open. The inside was arranged very much as the previous room, although with no display of colors and light, and Chakotay moved over to one of the chairs and placed Jawil down. He then bent down and unfastened the chain about her ankles. She was shaking uncontrollably, and Chakotay stepped back to give her some space. Seven stood by the door to block the threshold if Jawil attempted to escape.

"Do not harm me," she said again weakly.

"We have no intention of harming you," Chakotay replied in as calm a voice as he could muster. He held his hands out and took another step back. "All we desire to leave Utopia and we require your assistance. You can guide us to the room where you first discovered us in our ship."

"Why would you want to leave Utopia?" Jawil replied incredulously, as if the events of the past half hour had not occurred.

"We also have no intention of becoming yours and Hazvour's pets," Seven snapped. Jawil cringed slightly from Seven's harsh tone.

Chakotay turned to Seven and she shrugged innocently. He returned his attention to Jawil. "Once we're gone, everything here in Utopia will return to normal," Chakotay soothed. Jawil nodded vigorously. She obviously liked that idea. Chakotay took a tentative step closer. "All you need to do is lead us to the room where you and Hazvour were when you found us."

"The leader said to not help you," Jawil replied. She then breathed in deeply and exhaled quickly, as if to calm herself.

"She said to not tell us anything," Chakotay clarified. "You don't need to tell us anything, just show us the room and allow us to leave."

"It's not too far," Jawil remarked. She had stopped shaking. She was obviously thinking things through. She looked back and forth between Chakotay and Seven, a mixture of fear and contempt on her face. "It is for the best that you leave. You are dangerous and filled with hatred. These are qualities not wanted in Utopia. There is no telling what violence you might perpetrate if left on your own. You would kill every citizen if it suited your needs." She appeared to be rationalizing the decision to help them, so Chakotay remained quiet. "I would be doing a service to all of Utopia to help you," Jawil concluded.

"We don't want…" Seven began harshly, but Chakotay raised his hand and motioned for her to tone it down. Seven frowned. "We'll be all too happy to leave," she finished in a forced but decidedly softer town. Chakotay was obviously better suited for this type of negotiation.

"When we're gone, you can return here and free Hazvour and your leader," Chakotay continued. "It will be as if we were never here."

Jawil nodded at the thought. Again she looked back and forth between Seven and Chakotay. "I will help you," she finally said. She then turned back to Seven and frowned. "You will die outside. In a day. In a year. You will die and we will live on for millennia."

"We prefer it that way than to stay in Utopia," Seven replied.

Jawil simply shook her head in astonishment. Chakotay motioned for Jawil to stand and move towards the door. Jawil looked at him bewildered. "I can't very well take you anywhere with me bound like this," she protested. "If another citizen saw us, they would become alarmed and stop us." Chakotay hesitated and Jawil became annoyed, her fear from moments before apparently having evaporated away now that she had decided to help them. "I have said I will help you. I don't know how it is in the other place, but when a Utopian gives their word, it is final." She held out her bound wrists. Chakotay glanced to Seven and then untied the remaining chain.

Jawil examined her wrists, perhaps ensuring they weren't bruised or marked, and then straightened her back. With a frown, she then moved to the door and brushed past Seven. Chakotay and Seven followed her out quickly. She led them out into the plaza as before, but this time off to the left away from the sculpture garden. Two of the Utopians they saw earlier were still laying together on the hill, but did not indicate they noticed them at all. The others from earlier were gone, but there was a new group at the end of the plaza with the sculptures. Fortunately they were headed away from them and they were too distant to notice anything awry anyway. As they walked, Chakotay noted that the large space was essentially an elongated oval and they were heading to one of the ends. They followed the perimeter path for most of the way. The path felt like wet sand to his bare feet, soft yet firm. As they neared the end, one of the catlike animals the Utopians kept as pets came bounding down the path on all four legs. It stopped, as if to bar their path, and then stood on its hind legs. Jawil raised her arm, as Hazvour had done before, and then hissed and clicked. The creature hissed back and dropped back down to all fours, but seemed reluctant to leave. Jawil hissed again and the creature finally moved off. After a short distance, it looked back for a long moment, and then bounded away.

"What was that all about?" Chakotay asked.

"A friend of our pet's," Jawil replied. "I think he was expecting time with her. We often let her roam in the plaza at this time of day."

"You appeared to be talking to the creature," Seven remarked.

"I was. The animals have been with Utopians from the very beginning."

"A symbiotic relationship?" 

Jawil shrugged. "They are semi-sentient but are hardly needed for our survival," she clarified. "They are quite loyal, however, and make excellent companions. Something Utopians treasure." She then looked back at Seven and Chakotay and added, "We value that highly, and other virtues you might know nothing about. Honesty, tolerance, and individual freedoms."

"We value all those things as well," Chakotay offered.

"Ha!" Jawil scoffed. "You insulted us after we rescued you, opened our home to you and showed you hospitality. Do not deny it."

Chakotay sighed. "Your concept of how far individual freedoms extend is clearly different than ours and antithetical to some of our beliefs. I did not intend to insult you, but considering how it revealed your ultimate intent with us, I do not regret my actions."

"We would have showered you with love. What would you have us do? Treat you as citizens?"

"This is pointless," Seven said, directing her comment to Chakotay. "In her mind, we are not much more advanced than their feline pets."

"You are mistaken," Jawil said. "We understand you have a greater sentience than those creatures."

"Yes, but we're not the pinnacle of sentience as you are," Seven replied sarcastically. She appeared ready to throttle Jawil.

"Perhaps it would be best if we simply get to where we're going with minimal conversation," Chakotay offered.

Jawil frowned, but moved off without another word. They left the path and crossed an area of grass until they came to the edge of the plaza and a wall. Looking up, the wall disappeared after a short distance into the sky. From this perspective, it was clear to see as a holographic projection of some sort. Jawil touched an indentation in the wall, and a door opened. The hallway beyond was in darkness, but quickly brightened as they entered. The door slid shut automatically behind them. They walked for a short time down this hallway. The walls were featureless with the lights in front of them turning on as they approached and the lights behind them shutting off. Finally they came to another door. This time, however, it was two doors in quick succession, as in an airlock. The door behind them shut before the door in front of them opened. Again the lights turned on as they entered, and once inside, they found themselves in a pentagonal room with four other identical doors leading off from each face. In the center of the room was a circular etching in the floor. Everything was clean and spotless, seemingly brand new.

"This is the center of Utopia," Jawil informed them. "The three doors there lead off to the other plazas."

"The uninhabited plazas that Hazvour mentioned."

Jawil nodded. "There is nothing of much interest in any of them. This final door is where we're going." She moved over quickly and depressed the door's indentation. It slid open. In this case, however, it wasn't an airlock but another hallway that lit up in front of them. It was different from the corridor that had led them from the first Utopian plaza. On either side now were many doors, and there were markings on the wall and floor. There was movement further down the hallway, what appeared to be rectangular box hovered along the side of the corridor moving away from them. When Jawil noticed, she pointed down the corridor. "There are hundreds of these devices throughout Utopia," she said. "I studied them for years, plotting their paths and deciphering their behavior."

"And what do they do?" Chakotay asked. Apparently Jawil was not heading the Utopian leader's advice and was more than happy to talk to them about Utopia. Chakotay was happy to oblige, as long as it didn't lead to another argument.

"They are constantly updating and repairing the structures of Utopia." Jawil then turned and stepped quickly up to the first open doorway on the left and stepped inside. Seven and Chakotay followed. "Here," she stated gesturing to the inside.

Seven and Chakotay studied the room. It was relatively large, with two platforms dominating the far end. On one of the platforms was the remains of their tether. It was severed in places to fit completely on the platform. There appeared to be several stations on the side of the room closest to the door, but only one was active. Seven walked up to it and tapped on some of the interfaces. Many of the displays changed, and so she tapped on some more.

"I have brought you here as I said I would," Jawil stated. "Now it is time for you to leave."

"This appears to be a transporter room of sorts," Seven observed. "And here." She was pointing to something on one of the displays. "The coordinates to the Delta Flyer. It is indeed being held by a tractor beam inside what appears to be a dampening field. I can scan the debris in the ellipse as well from here."

"Can you disable the tractor beam?" Chakotay asked.

Seven continued to work on the panel. Her fingers danced over the controls and Chakotay was amazed she could make sense of it all after such a short time. "I can use it to destroy the shuttle, as the Utopian leader had suggested to Hazvour, and I can turn it off from this station, but not disable its future use." She then looked about the rest of the room. "If indeed Utopia is a great ship, we need to go to the equivalent of its engineering room or bridge. From there, we can perhaps terminate the tractor beam's function."

Chaktoay turned to face Jawil. "What about that. In your explorations, did you ever discover Utopia's engineering room or bridge?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"Other rooms such as this," Chakotay clarified. He pointed to the controls Seven was manipulating. "Perhaps larger, with more control stations."

Jawil laughed. "There's a labyrinth of hallways and rooms in this part of Utopia. All superfluous to our needs and it all functions automatically. I spent years exploring it and was lost on many occasions. I wouldn't know where to begin to show it to you."

Chakotay nodded. "We'll have to figure it out as we go then." He turned to Seven. "I would guess we're in a colony ship. The four plazas detachable modules, and we're now in the main starship used to transport the modules."

"I concur," Seven responded. "I suggest we make our way to the bridge, or its equivalent."

Jawil appeared confused. "A ship," she repeated incredulously. She crossed her arms. "I have brought you here, to this room as you requested. Now it is time for you to leave."

"Not until we know you or Hazvour or your benevolent leader can't just grab us back," Chaktoay snapped back. "We have to figure out a way of disabling those tractor beams." He moved back out into the corridor and Seven followed.

Jawil stood her ground. "We'll get lost for certain," she protested. "You said you wouldn't harm me. You gave me your word."

"And I promise we won't harm you," Chakotay replied.

"I spent years exploring this place. Whatever you hope to find, it will take too long. I need to get back to free Hazvour and Waywin."

Chakotay stepped back and pulled her gently out of the room. "You underestimate us. I think we are a great deal cleverer than you give us credit for." He motioned down the corridor with his arm. "It won't take that long. Now come along. We have some exploring to do."


	7. The Plan

Chapter 7 – The Plan

Seven attempted to open the door again by depressing the slight indentation in the wall. It remained shut. Every door they came to operated in the same manner. Jawil shook her head in exaggerated exasperation. "It is really quite simple," she said. "You depress with the one finger and keep that in the same spot while allowing your other finger to trace out a circle about the first."

"That is precisely what I did," Seven protested. She tried again and finally the door moved back and then slid silently into the wall. Seven then crossed her arms and turned to Chakotay. "It defies logic that the Progenitors would make these doors so difficult to open."

Chakotay laughed. "I have a theory about that."

Seven raised an eyebrow. "Do tell," she said sarcastically.

"The feline pets the Utopians have, and presumably distant descendants of those the Progenitors also kept. They simply wanted to prevent the beasts from being able to open and close doors."

Seven grunted and shook her head. During the brief interchange, Jawil had been examining both Seven and Chakotay closely. In the hours they had spent exploring, Seven had caught her doing this on more than one occasion. "What is it?" Seven finally asked when she noticed Jawil's stare yet again.

"Oh, nothing."

"What were you thinking?" Seven persisted

Jawil shrugged. "I was just wondering if you were ever going to kiss him."

"What?"

Jawil backed away slightly. At first she had been reluctant to go and they nearly had to drag her along. After a time, however, she began to interact with them more and more. Perhaps the excitement of her time exploring these same corridors was returning to her. She shook her head. "What were the two of you doing alone in that ship outside anyway?" she asked instead and stepped into the now open door, perhaps in an attempt to move a further distance from Seven.

"Obviously not what you were thinking," Seven responded and followed her inside. Chakotay brought up the rear.

"So you're not a mated pair after all," Jawil concluded.

Seven crossed her arms again in irritation. "Even if we were a mated pair, we would not perform for your amusement."

"Jawil, we agreed …" Chakotay began. When Jawil appeared to be ready to interrupt, Chakotay raised his hand. "I know we are not Utopians, but I must insist again that you treat us as if we were."

Jawil sighed, but nodded. "Of course," she said.

"To answer your question, we were exploring the graviton ellipse. What you call outside. There was an artifact we suspected within the ellipse, and indeed we found it. Unfortunately, we became accidently trapped and couldn't return to the other place. As I tried to explain before, the ellipse is now subsumed in what we call subspace such that normal space, the other place, is inaccessible."

"Just the two of you. Together," Jawil added dubiously.

"There had been someone else onboard," Chakotay continued, "but he was rescued by _Voyager_ using a transporting device similar to how you and Hazvour transferred our tether from outside onto that platform."

"And _Voyager_ is your ship from the other place," Jawil said, more a statement than a question.

"Yes."

"Hmmm." Apparently Jawil wasn't completely convinced.

During their interchange, Seven had moved to the rear of the room and had removed a panel on the far wall. She turned back to Jawil and Chakotay. "I believe we can move three more decks up from this access point."

"It's not blocked like the others?" Chakotay asked.

"Apparently we've finally found the exception and the way up."

Jawil sighed heavily again. "There are even more decks above us?" she asked with annoyance.

"As we suspected," Chakotay responded. "If we were to locate a central control area on a ship like this, something we call a bridge, it would be on the uppermost deck."

"And you never explored that portion of the ship before," Seven added. "You said yourself, this is as far up as you went."

"I took those, what did you call them, turbolifts to every deck I could, including this one."

"Yes, but we found an inconsistency. These two adjacent turbolift shafts appear to be blocked above this point along with all the other previous access points we've investigated."

"I know, I know," Jawil groaned. "I've been right with you the entire time."

"And that symbol in the one turbolift we could access," Chakotay added. "It appears to indicate points above the obstruction."

Jawil frowned and looked about. They were in yet another room whose function might have been crew quarters, although rather basic for her taste. As she had done years before, they had identified many different types of rooms. Medical bays, offices and workspaces supporting various functions, and even what appeared to be a veterinary clinic. "Why would they be blocked?" she finally mused.

"There are two possibilities," Seven answered. "It was either done deliberately sometime in the past, or despite the seemingly pristine condition of the areas we've explored, there have been some problems with how things have been maintained and repaired. If indeed this ship is five billion years old, even a random error every million years would result in…"

"Yes, yes," Jawil interrupted. "Ten thousand errors by now. I _can_ do basic math."

Seven frowned at the interruption, but decided to ignore it. "It's possible, during the period of inactivity," she continued, "Something has blocked access to the upper decks."

"But on both these turbolifts at the same point," Chakotay pointed out. "That seems too coincidental. I wonder if sometime in the distant past, a past crew deliberately sealed off the upper decks."

"Why in Utopia would they do that?" Jawil countered.

Now Chakotay shrugged. "Why did your leader from millions of years ago delete all the historical records and archives?" he asked instead.

"How should I know."

Suddenly they heard a noise from out in the corridor. Seven jumped from where she was standing and moved to the door. The others followed. Out in the corridor, one of the rectangular boxes that hovered about was passing by. Seven followed it for a short distance where it stopped briefly, emitted a noise, and then continued on down the corridor. She knelt down and examined the floor. "It has repaired the scratches we made at this point," she commented. "An automated maintenance feature, as Jawil determined before."

Jawil smiled smugly. "There are hundreds of them," she reminded them. "I spent months plotting their individual routes." She nodded satisfied, and then motioned back to the open door. "Three more decks up then," she sighed, resigned to the climb.

Chakotay noted that she had stopped talking about Hazvour and the Utopian leader and the need to get back to them. They moved up through the crawlspace quickly, something akin to a Jeffries tube and ladder, and arrived in a similar room to the one where they had entered. Seven stepped up to the door and moved her hand to open it. To her relief, it opened without a problem. When they stepped out into the corridor, the lights turned on and brightened. It was a shorter deck than previously and they could see both ends of the corridor from their vantage point.

"This looks promising," Chakotay commented.

"Let's go back to the first turbolift and see if we are above the obstruction."

Jawil groaned loudly, but moved along with them without additional complaint. They arrived at the turbolift and forced the door open since a lift wasn't in the shaft being trapped below the obstruction. They had a clear view down the shaft and could see the blockage about two meters below them. It was obviously deliberately placed, but whether to repair damage or to actually block access was unclear.

"Now let's go to the other shaft," Chakotay suggested. "It might be the lift we couldn't access before was simply above the obstruction.

Sure enough, when they attempted opening the shaft regularly, the lift was there waiting for them. When they had all entered, Seven pressed the uppermost symbol, the one they had been assuming was the uppermost deck and bridge. The door slid shut and the lift started moving.

"This looks promising," Chakotay repeated.

Previously, the other turbolift had stopped and wouldn't go further. This time, however, the lift appeared to make it to its final destination. When the door opened, it was not into a corridor but into a pentagonal room. The room was fully lit. They all stepped out and looked about opened mouthed. Many computer stations formed two concentric rings in the center of the room. Large screens filled the other four walls. Three were not as active as the fourth, but from that one it was clear it contained scenes of the exterior and interior of the Utopian's habitat. The other three must be similar depictions of the unoccupied habitats.

"This looks promising," Chakotay said yet again.

"Enough already," Seven snapped back, both amused and irritated with him. She then caught Jawil smiling at the interchange, but the other woman quickly turned away. She knew exactly what Jawil was thinking, although Seven was more inclined to hit him instead of kiss him at this point. She frowned and moved over to the closest station to examine the interface.

Jawil stepped up beside her. "Is this the bridge then?" she asked.

" _You are in the unified Command and Control center_ ," a male synthetic voice responded. Jawil nearly jumped out of her skin and both Seven and Chakotay instinctively crouched into a defensive posture. They all glanced about, but nothing visually had changed.

Chakotay was the first to recover. "The ship is not only automated," he said to the others. "But apparently under voice command here."

Seven raised an eyebrow. She stood and placed her hands behind her back. "Ship. Provide brief summary of status," she commanded, vaguely to the center of the room.

" _Have you taken command_?"

"Yes," Seven replied.

" _Understood. Ship's status._ _Last emergence was twenty-one days ago to investigate possible rendezvous, but event unrealized. Remaining on course to next possible rendezvous point with estimated time of emergence in two hundred and sixty seven days. Engines remain at thirty-two percent with forty-seven percent conversion efficiency. Enclosure two has ninety-nine inhabitants, all in good condition. One hundred and fifteen other life forms present. The other enclosures are unoccupied at this time_. _There are twelve billion, one hundred and eighty-four million, six hundred and fourteen thousand, two hundred and twelve actions pending captain approval._ "

Seven and Chakotay exchanged a look. "What do you suppose it means to investigate possible rendezvous points?" Chakotay asked.

Before Seven had a chance to speculate, the computer responded instead. " _Last order to rendezvous with diaspora ship logged with ship configuration filed. On course to nearest detected mass that may fit specified configuration_."

"It sounds as if the ship can determine the path of the graviton ellipse," Chakotay commented.

"I wonder how long it has been inside," Seven replied. "Ship. How long have you been executing this last order?"

" _Unknown_."

"What do you mean unknown?"

" _Standard diagnostics and reboot of system thirty-seven million, eight hundred and sixty-five thousand, four hundred and nine years ago due to indeterminate power surge resulted in significant loss or inaccessibility of stored records including all previous logs_. _Rendezvous order has been executed since that time and for an unknown time before the anomaly_."

Seven frowned. Not only did the Utopians have no sense of their history, the ship was in the same predicament. Billions of years simply lost.

"How does it know it's even executing a valid order?" Chakotay asked.

Again, the computer took this as a question directed to it and answered. " _Redundancy in what was recovered allowed for a reconstruction of the last order. It is ninety nine and forty four one hundredths percent probable a similar anomaly occurred before this time that instigated the redundant logging and sparsity of what remained and was reconstructed. The same procedure has been continued to account for any possible future anomaly and ensure the last order is maintained_."

"It is likely several such anomalies have occurred over the past five billion years," Seven said. "Interesting that the ship itself has survived but not the record of their voyage."

"Hold on a minute,"Chakotay said, something finally registering in his mind. "How can the ship believe it is executing any of these orders if it's trapped inside a graviton ellipse?"

Seven and Chakotay exchanged a look, and the computer didn't answer this time. "Perhaps the ship has some measure of control over the graviton ellipse. Or perhaps…" Seven's eyes suddenly opened wider. "Ship, can you alter course?"

" _Affirmative. Do you wish to override existing order_?"

"Not at this time. Ship, describe the nature of the gravimetric distortion surrounding us."

There was a slight hesitation. " _The gravimetric field is generated by ship's engines to create a pocket within subspace for faster than light travel._ _Power is drawn directly from the resulting subspace barrier to sustain the field and run ship's systems._ _Engines are at thirty-two percent with forty-seven percent conversion efficiency. Reduced efficiency is the result of debris that has collected in the outer gravimetric field. Recommend complete expulsion on next emergence from subspace."_

Seven nodded. "It is as we thought. The ship is drawing power from the gravimetric gradient and subspace barrier. What we didn't realize was the ship itself is creating the ellipse as part of its propulsion."

"Like a warp bubble," Chakotay commented.

"Exactly. But in this case, it is self-sustaining, where our warp field technology requires anti-matter as the fuel, this ship can run indefinitely with essentially an infinite supply of energy."

Jawil, who had been silent this whole time, finally spoke up. "All this time. For countless ages, Utopia has been a ship blindly traveling through the other place." She appeared in a state of shock.

"Apparently so," Chakotay replied. He then turned back to Seven. "Perhaps we can use it to get back to _Voyager_."

"Ship," Seven said turning to the console nearest her, "Can you scan beyond the gravimetric distortion and subspace barrier to normal space?"

" _Affirmative_."

"Plot our course over the past thirty days and display on screen." In response, the screens on one of the walls monitoring an empty habitat was replaced by a map of the Galaxy. The path of the graviton ellipse was also marked. About two-thirds back along the thirty-day span, the trajectory changed by a forty-five degree angle. Seven gestured to the map. "The trajectory change was likely when _Voyager_ encountered the ellipse."

" _Would you like for me to plot the trajectory of the last target_?"

"Please."

On the map, another trajectory was plotted. It more or less held steady in a single direction, moving from their current quadrant to the adjacent one.

"Ship, is this a representation of the projected path or the actual path of the target?"

" _Target remains on sensors. This is the actual path_."

Seven studied the display for a moment. "See there," she stated pointing. "That red giant star that intersects the path. That's the star we passed a week before encountering the ellipse."

"And that cluster of stars we were approaching at the time we became trapped," Chakotay said. "It appears that does represent _Voyager_ and they are amongst those stars now."

"Ship, can you alter our trajectory to intercept the last target again?" Seven asked.

" _Affirmative_."

"Estimate time to intercept."

" _At current speed, seven days. If we increase speed to maximum tolerable given integrity of outer gravimetric field, eighty-seven minutes_. _Would you like for me to make this trajectory change_?"

If Seven didn't know better, she almost sensed gratitude in the computer's voice for finally being able to execute a new order. "Make it so. Change course, increase speed, and prepare for expulsion of outer gravimetric field on next emergence from subspace."

" _Affirmative."_

Seven turned to Chakotay. If there were ever a time for her to kiss him, this would be it. They had successfully survived, discovered the true nature of the graviton ellipse, and were now using it to rendezvous with _Voyager_. The ship's artificial intelligence, however, interrupted her thoughts.

 _"_ _Captain, there are twelve billion, one hundred and eighty-four million, six hundred and fourteen thousand, two hundred and eleven additional actions pending captain approval_."

#

Author's notes: Thank you Chris926, EMcKinney, scifiromance and lizzy74656 for your reviews. One more chapter to go, although it might take me a wee bit longer to write that one compared to these. Please review – would love to hear from all of you…


	8. The First Kiss

Chapter 8 – The First Kiss

Kathryn Janeway sat slumped in her Captain's chair. Three weeks had passed since she lost both Chakotay and Seven of Nine to the graviton ellipse. Crew morale was low, and although she knew she needed to set the example and help the rest to move on, it still felt like an open wound. They had lost people before, and there was always a period of grieving, but not like this. Chakotay, her best friend and confidant, and Seven, as close to a daughter for her as anyone could be. It would be difficult to get over their loss, and eventually it would happen, but evidently not today.

"I'm detecting level nine gravimetric distortions emanating from subspace," Ensign Kim said, interrupting the Captain's brooding and the silence on the bridge.

Janeway sat up straighter. "Say again." She could hardly believe what she was hearing.

"We've got level nine gravimetric distortions emanating from subspace and closing on our position," Ensign Kim repeated. "Fast."

"Another one?" Janeway replied. Encountering one graviton ellipse was surprising and rare, but two in a matter of days? That couldn't possibly be a coincidence. She turned to her operations officer feeling hopeful. "Could it be the same one with Chakotay and Seven?"

"I don't know," Kim replied and started shaking his head. He didn't like what he was seeing. He tapped on the sensor controls. "But it's moving at a hundred times the speed we measured for the last ellipse. Closing on our position."

During their previous encounter with an ellipse, Seven had suggested the phenomenon was attracted to objects that emit electromagnetic energy. After the ellipse that had trapped Chakotay and Seven returned to subspace, the _Voyager_ crew had done everything they could to attract it yet again to no avail. Janeway nodded crisply. Now, _Voyager_ once more needed to get out of the way. "Cut power and reverse our shield polarity! Evasive maneuvers if necessary."

"We're too late," Paris commented glancing down at navigation. "It's almost on top of us. There's no possible way we can outrun it this time, even at warp."

"Prepare for impact! Change heading to…"

"Ma'am," Kim interrupted. He double checked the sensor readings before continuing. "The gravimetric distortions are decreasing."

"The phenomena appears to be slowing dramatically," Paris added.

Janeway looked puzzled. "On screen," she ordered. "Tom, don't let it get too close."

"Yes Ma'am."

Before them was the graviton ellipse, already emerged from subspace and broiling with thirty million terajoules of energy. It appeared as it had before with perhaps a softening around the edges. It was definitely slowing, but also expanding.

"Ensign, report," Janeway barked.

"The gravimetric distortions are diminishing and the phenomena is increasing in size."

"Captain, it's like we measured while inside," Paris interjected, turning to face the Captain. "There was more space inside the ellipse than the size we calculated from the outside."

"And the inside of the ellipse is merging with normal space," Tuvok stated from his station. "Making room for itself here."

As they watched, the subspace barrier between the ellipse and normal space faded from an angry orange to a deep red and then dissipated completely. From the center, a ship emerged. It kept getting bigger and bigger as the bending of spacetime was reconciled until it stretched several kilometers across. Residual gravitational distortions danced about in flashes of red and orange and around them was an expanding debris field. Fragments and artifacts that had been trapped inside the ellipse finally released back into normal space.

"What is that!?" Janeway stammered as the full size of the alien ship became apparent. Four large ovals radiated out of a larger structure and it was now stopped in space and rotating slowly about. "An immense vessel of some sort," she added, answering her own question.

"Incoming signal," Tuvok suddenly said. "Captain, it's the _Delta Flyer_."

Janeway's eyes widened. This was the same ellipse after all, and they had survived! "Put it up!"

" _Voyager, stay within the debris field. The vessel you see before you is about to re-enter subspace and you don't want to be caught in its gravimetric wake_."

"Chakotay. I can't tell you how good it is to hear your voice," Janeway choked out, relief washing over her. "Where are you?"

" _Just off your port bow_.""

"Are you both okay?"

" _Seven and I are just fine. Prepare the shuttle bay. We're coming aboard_."

As the _Delta Flyer_ adjusted its course to align with _Voyager_ 's shuttle bay, a new gravimetric distortion began to form about the alien ship. Again, starting a translucent deep red and then brightening and moving to shorter wavelengths, the ellipse reformed and started to contract. It was stationary in space for a short time, glowing brightly and shrinking in size, but then it also started moving off away from them and got smaller still due to their perspective. Before they lost sight of it completely, the ellipse subsumed back into subspace from where it came. "It's gone," Tuvok stated, breaking everyone on the bridge out of a spell.

Janeway stood up quickly and clapped her hands. "This is cause for a celebration. Tuvok, you have the bridge," she said and hurried to the turbolift. She intended to make it to the shuttle bay before the _Delta Flyer_ was fully docked to greet her wayward crewmembers. When the _Delta Flyer_ 's hatch opened, several _Voyager_ crew, including Captain Janeway, were there to greet Chakotay and Seven. "Welcome back!" Janeway enthused, and stepped forward to give them both a big hug. Her emotions almost got the better of her when she added with a catch in her throat, "we thought we had lost you."

"You can't get rid of us that easily," Chakotay replied.

"Quite an entrance," B'Elanna said and punched Chakotay lightly on the shoulder. "Nice outfits you have there."

Chakotay glanced down at the Utopian robe that he and Seven still wore. They had had precious little time to find or replicate new clothes from their time on the Progenitor ship's bridge. "It's a long story."

B'Elanna smirked. "I'm sure it is," she chuckled. She then turned to Seven, "I imagine you two were at each other's throats the whole time."

Seven became alarmed. Might she be referring to her annoyance with Chakotay ordering them to stay in the ellipse? What had Lieutenant Paris told her of what happened? "Not at all lieutenant," she replied hastily. "We worked quite well together."

"You have to be careful with Chakotay and Star Fleet shuttles," B'Elanna continued. "They're a volatile mix."

"You are mistaken," Seven said, feeling compelled to defend Chakotay.

Chakotay smiled and placed his hand on Seven's shoulder. Others in the cargo bay began crowding around them. Lieutenant Ayala, Ensign Delaney and others. Patting them both on the back and shaking their hands. "We had quite an adventure, let me tell you," Chakotay said.

"I can imagine," Janeway replied. She had been standing back a bit and observing. It was good to see everyone so happy, particularly after the past three agonizing weeks. She then laughed out loud. "The ellipse. That vessel. It's hard to wrap my head around it all. Was it the source of the gravimetric distortions?"

"It's their propulsion system," Seven answered. "It is powered directly from the gravimetric subspace interface and self-sustaining."

"Fascinating," Janeway marveled. "Who are the aliens you met and what happened to you these past three weeks?"

Chakotay laughed back. He turned to Seven and they exchanged a knowing look. "I'm not quite sure where to begin," he finally said. "And I don't think you'll believe us when we tell you."

#

Seven frowned. They had been back less than twenty-four hours and she had already completed an Astrometrics report. Worse, Chakotay was late in stopping by Astrometrics to pick it up. Sure, it was their first day back after a twenty-three day absence, but that shouldn't disrupt these ship routines. Besides, she had been looking forward to their interchange, having not seen him for most of the day. "Computer, locate Commander Chakotay."

" _Commander Chakotay is in the Captain's quarters_."

What was that? For some reason, this made Seven upset. Sharing a poorly cooked meal, no doubt. He must have simply forgotten his rounds and went directly to the Captain's quarters instead. Not that there were any expectations between her and the First Officer, but she had thought their time in the ellipse had changed the parameters of their relationship. Perhaps it had only been in her imagination, but during the debriefing to the senior staff and their time back on _Voyager_ , Chakotay had seemed to act the same as he did in the ellipse. A familiarity and closeness that had developed between them extended naturally to the present. She consulted the chronometer again. Ten minutes until her duty shift ended. She weighed the PADD in her hand. It was the nine-hundred and fifty third such report she had authored while aboard _Voyager_. Details of their position and trek across the Delta Quadrant as well as pertinent information on the stars and nebula they passed along the way. The reports were all uploaded into the greater database contained within _Voyager_. It was possible someone in the future might access one or another of the entries to glean some bit of information. It was also possible, perhaps even likely, all the information would one day succumb to the fate that befell the Progenitors and the Utopians' records and history. Erased, destroyed, and forgotten to the void. Was this to be her contribution to the universe?

Seven placed the PADD down and eyed the door to Astrometrics. If she were to leave early, no one would probably notice. Icheb might wonder where she was, think perhaps he had arrived a minute or two late to his duty shift, but think nothing more of it. He was always so punctual. And if she did leave, where would she go? Spend the evening in the cargo bay? Each day, each moment, passing her by. She sighed and took a step towards the door.

She was definitely feeling some sort of emotion, and if she was honest she knew exactly what it was. She was disappointed and realized she had been really looking forward to the brief interaction with Commander Chakotay afforded when he dropped by Astrometrics. In fact, perhaps even a not so brief interaction. Their shared adventure was still fresh in her mind, and despite the perilous nature of the time there, and the fact that his error in judgement was the reason they became trapped in the first place, she had enjoyed it. She had enjoyed working with him on building the tether and exploring the alien ship. She had enjoyed the time just recently debriefing the senior staff with him about the Utopians and describing how they had survived together. She had enjoyed just… being with him. And, she wanted more.

And now the debris expelled from the gravimetric field still surrounded _Voyager_ and they would likely be exploring and sifting through it in the coming days as he had hoped when they were inside. That was probably what Chakotay and the Captain were talking about over the burnt pot roast or whatever today's culinary selection was. She could imagine the Captain laughing as Chakotay detailed their time with the Utopians and discussed the implications and their relationship to the Progenitors. Enthralled as he gushed over what wonders the debris field might contain and contemplative as they discussed the possible future of the Utopians.

Chakotay and Seven had given Jawil the option of coming with them on the Flyer, but she had declined. Jawil decided it would be better to discuss the future of Utopia with the ninety-nine other Utopians and go from there. It was likely great changes were in store for their stagnant and self-absorbed society, and the Utopians would likely have their hands full. For her part, Jawil had promised not to interfere with their escape in the _Delta Flyer_ after the expulsion of the debris from the gravimetric field. Of course, there was nothing she could have done anyway. The Progenitor's ship had no weapons and Seven had configured the tractor beams such that they couldn't be used on the Flyer anyway. She had also instructed the ship's artificial intelligence on how to avoid encounters with other vessels in the future before relinquishing her brief captaincy of the ship to Jawil. The twelve billion plus actions to review were now the other woman's problem. For now, the Progenitor's ship, Utopia, the graviton ellipse, Borg spatial anomaly five two one, whatever you wanted to call it again traveled through subspace to a distant future unknown.

Seven took one last look at the chronometer. Five minutes to go and that was close enough. She moved with a purpose towards the exit and nearly bumped into someone who was just then entering. Commander Chakotay stepped back surprised. "Excuse me," he said absently, but when he realized it was Seven he added, "Oh. Are you leaving already?"

Seven was even more surprised, he hadn't stayed in the Captain's quarters for very long. Perhaps the meal had been ruined beyond repair. Fortunately, she kept her calm and composure. "The Astrometrics daily report is on the railing. I'm heading back to the cargo bay." She actually wasn't quite sure where she was heading, but that answer was as good as any.

"Oh," Chakotay replied, sounding a bit disappointed. "Well, let me walk with you then."

"That is not necessary," Seven said. "Now that you are here, we can conduct our business as usual." She stepped back into Astrometrics and Chakotay followed her. The doors slid back shut but she hesitated in going to pick up the PADD and the daily report. Having him close by felt agreeable.

Chakotay seemed a bit taken aback, but nodded. "I was just speaking with the Captain," he began. "We were planning how we might explore the debris field left by the Progenitor's ship. We were thinking of deploying the _Delta Flyer_ with a three person crew and all the shuttles with two person crews to extend our range and sift through the artifacts faster. _Voyager_ will be the central hub and collection area for any items we decide to pick up."

"That sounds prudent," Seven replied.

"I've requested to pilot one of the shuttles and the Captain has agreed."

Chakotay of course wanted to be in the thick of it, as Seven had suspected. But then something else occurred to her. Might he be assuming she would accompany him on the mission? This sounded hopeful, but she didn't let a trace of that enter into her intonation or manner. "You would like for me to run sensors on the _Delta Flyer_ again?" she asked.

Chakotay shifted, again perhaps uncertain given her tone and response. "Actually I was thinking the two of us would be in one of the shuttles," he replied. He suddenly seemed a bit embarrassed by the suggestion, but also emanated his own sense of hopefulness. "Tom doesn't want me near the _Delta Flyer_ again now that it's been repaired."

A shuttle? It would be just the two of them. Despite herself, the thought gave her a great deal of excitement. He obviously had been assuming the two of them would go on the mission together. She took a tentative step closer. "Your track record with shuttles is not much better," she teased.

Chakotay feigned innocence, but then laughed. "I'll have you there to keep me out of trouble. What could go wrong? Besides, shuttles are easier to replace."

The ease of their interaction encouraged Seven. Their time together in the graviton ellipse and Utopia had indeed adjusted the parameters of their relationship after all and was not an anomaly restricted to the unique set of circumstances in the ellipse. "Just the two of us? Alone in a shuttlecraft together?"

Chakotay shrugged. "That's the idea. I want to spend more time with you, and I was hoping you felt the same way."

Indeed. Seven moved just a bit closer and raised an eyebrow.

"What is it?" Chakotay asked.

"I was just wondering if you were ever going to kiss me," Seven replied with a grin, invoking Jawil's question from their time in the ellipse.

Chakotay needed no more encouragement than that and didn't hesitate. He closed the final distance between them and enveloped Seven within his arms, and he in hers. It was as if they had both been waiting, the energy of the passion for the other finally allowed to be released. Their lips met and all thoughts of daily reports and alien debris fields were forgotten.

This definitely looked promising, the very beginning of a romance between the Head off Astrometrics and the First Officer of the Federation starship _Voyager_. Not quite the mated pair the Utopians had thought… not yet, at least.

#

Author's note: That's that. Hope you enjoyed. Tell me what you think. Looking to finish "Dimensions" next, although there are a couple other stories knocking around in my head as well. Who knows…

TTFN


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